It all started with Joaquín Purito Rodríguez. He was one of the first cyclists who understood, some 20 years ago, that spending long periods in Andorra might be a good idea. And not just because of the tax benefits. "Here you leave home and immediately find a mountain pass. There are more than 20 well-marked and maintained ones. You train at altitude, it's ideal. People like Purito, Xavier Florencio, and Ángel Vicioso were the first professionals to form a core group in Andorra, at a time when people said the weather said the weather said the weather said training," says Carlos Verona (San Lorenzo del Escorial, 1992). The Madrid-born rider from the Lidl-Trek team has been in Andorra for 10 years now and has become the star of the inaugural Andorra MoraBanc Clásica, the first professional cycling race in the Principality.