Team Name: Quijotes+Dulcineas
Location: Madrid, Spain
Year Founded: 2000
Website: http://www.losquijotes.es
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/QuijotesDulcineas-Ultimate-Madrid/162592530451638
Previous Windmill Appearances: 2
Highest Windmill Finish: 14th
Skyd is pleased to present the Quijotes+Dulcineas as our final Windmill Windup team preview of 2012 for the mixed division. This Madrid-based team, consistently one of the top teams in Spain, draws from a large player base with chilly, solid handlers and stable, dependable cutters. As Ultimate in Spain is generally only played in the mixed format, they will bring a large amount of mixed experience to the table, where they hope to build on recent success like their first place finish at Calafell Arena beach tournament two weeks ago and their second-place finish at La Abuela, the largest grass tournament in Spain.
Can you give us a summary/history of your team?
Quijotes+Dulcineas Ultimate Madrid is one of the oldest and largest clubs in Spain. Founded in 2000, the club has been competing nationally and internationally on grass and sand ever since. We currently send teams to 10-12 events a year, focusing primarily on Mixed and grass tournaments (but we also play Open and Women’s on occasion, and who doesn’t love beach?). Numbering nearly 70 players this year, the club has two Spanish Mixed titles and a handful of second place finishes in Open, Women’s and Mixed. The club’s second team, Q+D Sancho, also participates in regional tournaments and Division II of the Spanish Championship, and a number of players represent Spain in various divisions at international championships.
Are you just made up of players from Spain, or do you have international players as well?
Playing in the Spanish capital, Q+D has been able to count players from all over the world among its ranks (20+ countries over the years), although they’re usually with us for less time than we’d like. In recent years we’ve started promoting the sport and the club more actively in Madrid and have fortunately started attracting more and more Spanish players. Right now, we’re about 50% Spanish, with players from North and South America and other EU countries filling out the roster and bringing experience to the club.
Q+D at the Spanish Mixed Beach Championships in Tenerife
What player is most likely to make a huge play as a thrower? As a receiver? On D?
The team going to Windmill Windup this year is almost our complete competition team, so we’re looking for big plays from everyone. Specifically, Jose Antonio de los Ríos and Justin Palmer are the primary handlers and will distribute the disc quickly and effectively on both sides of the force. Upfield, veteran cutters like Vanessa Andrés and Jess Alcorn or Alberto Gilsanz and Hermann Käser will find and create space and help move the disc upfield. On D, everyone will be so pumped to play on the lush Dutch grass (no pun intended) that it’s tough to say who’ll make the first big play, but we’ve got some strong physical players like Leandro Fernández and Alex del Pozo who will make it tough on opposing cutters, while Ani Rubio and Lara Pérez will put the squeeze on other teams’ ladies.
Can you share a tradition, piece of history, or other trait that makes the Quijotes+Dulcineas unique?
Within Spain, the diversity on our club is pretty unique: we have players from all over the world, and from ages 18 to 40-something on the active roster. We also actively promote the sport in Spain, frequently appearing on TV programs, radio segments and even getting our own pull-out in MARCA, the country’s biggest sports daily. Finally, with fields to hard to find and coastline even more scarce in Madrid, we’re a grass team with no grass and a beach team with no beach – we generally practice what we warmly refer to as “ultimate rústico.”
The closest one comes to finding a grass Ultimate field in Madrid.
How many years have you attended Windmill? What are your favorite memories?
This will be Q+D’s third trip to the Windup, but some players have made it to five editions counting years with other teams. Some of the memories are a bit blurry, but most memorable have been the countless days with three or four hard-fought and spirited games decided by one or two points, the crazy beer races and massive mingle mingle, the night-time debauchery in Amsterdam and the party two years ago where we started losing clothing on the dance floor…
Why did you choose to go to Windmill this year?
Windmill Windmill is a must on the European calendar and was the first tournament suggested and approved in 2012 for the club. It’s a great opportunity to play against teams from all over Europe and combines stiff competition with a great atmosphere and parties. You can really feel the love and effort the organizers and volunteers put into it.
What are you most looking forward to this year at Windmill?
Great games on nice fields against teams from all over the continent, the unbelievable organization and extras that the staff brings to the event, camping with the team, the party on site and the adventures in Amsterdam.
What are your goals for the tournament?
The last two years we’ve finished 14th and 15th, but both times suffered a couple significant injuries early on in the tournament. This year the field looks a bit deeper, but with nearly a full squad coming off a win at the recent Calafell Arena tournament and no hurricane-force winds (fingers crossed) we’d love to crack the top 10…
Brought to you by:
Comments Policy: At Skyd, we value all legitimate contributions to the discussion of ultimate. However, please ensure your input is respectful. Hateful, slanderous, or disrespectful comments will be deleted. For grammatical, factual, and typographic errors, instead of leaving a comment, please e-mail our editors directly at editors [at] skydmagazine.com.