Our CEO, Uri Martins, has always lived life on two wheels. From racing alongside the pros with Amore e Vita to leading Grand Tours Project, his journey is a testament to determination, passion, and the life lessons only cycling can teach. Recently featured in La Gazzetta di Lucca, Uri shares his story—his years in the peloton, the unforgettable experiences with the Fanini family, and how those moments shaped his career beyond racing.
Uri Martins’ Memories with Amore e Vita: “Cycling and Fanini Were My Schools of Life”
By Valter Nieri | La Gazzetta di Lucca | Amore e Vita | October 25, 2024
Among the many who practice sports, only a few manage to become champions. In cycling, a rider like Tadej Pogačar is born once every fifty years. Natural talent cannot be created—it is something you are born with. However, sports, particularly cycling, offer young people invaluable lessons that prepare them for the future, regardless of whether they reach the top of the podium.
Cycling is a sport of endurance, sacrifice, and suffering, requiring athletes to push through exhaustion in all weather conditions just to reach the finish line. Much like in any career, those accustomed to hard work and commitment are more likely to succeed. This brings us to Mexican cyclist Uri Martins Sandoval, a strong rouleur-climber who lived in Lucca for several years while riding professionally for Amore e Vita from 2012 to 2017. He distinguished himself as a determined and invaluable domestique, contributing to the victories of Mattia Gavazzi, Marco Zamparella, Pierpaolo Ficara, and Danilo Celano. His relentless work at the front of the peloton helped these riders secure their victories.
“Cycling,” says the former Mexican rider, “and especially the experiences I had with Ivano Fanini and his son Cristian, taught me determination, responsibility, commitment, generosity, selflessness, and respect. These values have been crucial in shaping my career today as a CEO at Grand Tours Project, a company owned and founded by Keith Tuffley, based in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland.”
His Professional Career and Joining Amore e Vita
Now 34 years old, Uri Martins recalls his journey in the sport:
“I was discovered by the San Marco team in my home country and competed in the Vuelta a Chihuahua at just 18 years old—the youngest rider in the race. Simply finishing that race was a huge achievement for me. My early career was filled with triumphs. At 14, I was already part of the Mexican national team, and at 16, I won my first national road title. Back then, we raced in several Federation Cup events, and in 2007, I earned enough points to qualify for the Junior World Championships in Mexico, where Diego Ulissi took the victory. That year, I also competed in the track world championships, but my results were unremarkable—on the road, I crashed and had to abandon the race.”
His Best Season: 2011
How did your career take off?
“I was getting more and more accustomed to high-level racing, and my dream was to join a European team. That opportunity came in 2011 when I won the Mexican National Time Trial Championship at 21 years old, adding to several Federation Cup victories. My success caught the attention of my countryman Bernardo Colex, a former Amore e Vita rider who maintained close ties with Ivano and Cristian Fanini.
At the Pan American Championships, I met Cristian Fanini in person, and soon after, he signed me for Amore e Vita, allowing me to make my professional debut in April 2012 at the Vuelta Mexico.
In 2013, I won my first pro race in Mexico City—crossing the line solo with my arms raised in victory, also taking the overall classification. When I returned two years later, I played a key role in helping Mattia Gavazzi win a stage.
Winning in 2013 was an indescribable feeling—the pain and suffering transformed into pure joy. It was a personal victory over my own doubts and fears, made even sweeter by sharing it with an Italian team, which had been my biggest aspiration.”
A Short-Lived Victory Streak
However, that was his only major win.
“The increasing speed and longer distances of the races often challenged me. I was valued for my teamwork, helping teammates like Gavazzi, Zamparella, Ficara, and Celano win races. In 2016, I secured third place in the Mexican national championships, but at the end of the 2017 season, despite Fanini encouraging me to continue racing, I decided to retire at just 27 years old.”
Moving to the Swiss Alps and His Gratitude to Fanini
After retiring, Uri Martins and his girlfriend moved to the Swiss Alps, specifically Villars-sur-Ollon. While exploring new career paths, he stayed active with snow sports like snowshoeing, snowboarding, and skiing, occasionally unwinding at wellness centers.
“Leaving Italy and parting ways with Ivano and Cristian Fanini was emotional. I will always cherish what I learned from them. Cristian is a warm and knowledgeable cycling expert, while Ivano is a force of nature—he lived the races more passionately than we did as riders.
I gained so much from them, and their lessons still resonate with me today. They formed a great partnership that contributed immensely to cycling during my era. But for me, it was time to pursue a new future.
Moving to Switzerland, with its strong economy and high quality of life, was exciting, yet leaving behind people I had spent years with was bittersweet.
I told Ivano that one day, I would love to support young Mexican cyclists—maybe even take on a leadership role in the Olympic Committee or help young athletes from Cuernavaca Morelos. If that meant working with the Mexican embassy or entering politics, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
A New Career as General Manager of Grand Tours Project
His move to Switzerland was a bold leap into the unknown.
“A neighbour introduced me to Keith Tuffley, owner of Grand Tours Project, a cycling tour operator. I started on a three-month trial contract, eventually securing a permanent position.
Today, I manage the company, designing cycling tour itineraries, handling logistics, and creating tailor-made travel packages that take the stress out of trip planning for our clients.
My experience as a pro cyclist with Amore e Vita has been invaluable in this role.
The first tour I organized was in 2018, leading a group of 20 tourists to Israel for the Giro d’Italia Grande Partenza, where we stayed for three days.
Two years ago, I moved to Lutry, in the French-speaking Swiss canton of Vaud. My home overlooks Lake Geneva, and I’m just five minutes from Lausanne and an hour from Geneva. I live with my fiancée, Anastasia, who is Russian-born and has lived in Switzerland for 14 years.
In the coming years, we hope to start a family and continue living in this beautiful country.
I speak five languages—English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese—so communicating with our international clients is never an issue.
But my ultimate dream remains the same: to help young Mexican athletes come to Europe and pursue cycling. The knowledge and experience I gained in Capannori and Lucca, I want to pass on to them.”
La Gazzetta di Lucca – Giornale Politico – Artistico