It doesn't happen every day to celebrate your birthday while racing, and even less so in a race on the other side of the world.

This happened today to Xabier Berasategi, 25-year-old from Euskaltel-Euskadi, at the Tour of Hainan, a race where the Basque rider had already distinguished himself yesterday by finishing 9th in the opening stage won by Matteo Malucelli.

"A birthday while racing is always special, today we'll try to celebrate it in the best way possible" he told us before the start from Qionghai, the class of 2000 from Olabettia, at his first experience in Chinese territory.

"It's a completely different context from what I know, a totally different culture. However, the race is well organized and certainly pleasant. Goal for this year? My goal is always to improve, to get closer to the best with each season and try to get some victories".

To do this, Berasategi can put on the table a mix of characteristics that in today's cycling can certainly be very fruitful.

"I believe I'm a versatile rider, able to perform well uphill and with a good turn of speed to sprint at the end of a race. But I don't consider myself a sprinter" explains the Iberian rider, who accepted the news of his team's non-invitation to the next Vuelta Espana with good grace.

"In the end, the invitations are what they are. There are many teams that want to be there. At this point, we can only continue with the races we have planned and try to do everything to be there next year" admits Berasategi with great tranquility, who perhaps, in this way, will have a few more moments to do what he loves when he's not racing.

"Even though we don't have much time for anything else, when I can, I like to go to the mountains and enjoy nature".

Two activities that, if he weren't busy in the saddle, we're sure he wouldn't miss doing and appreciating even in Hainan, where peaks and natural settings of great charm are certainly not lacking.