16 Jul 2024

Vuelta a Zamora, five stages, five opportunities

Vuelta a Zamora

From 17th to 21st of July

While part of the under-23 team competes in Italy, another group will take part in the Vuelta a Zamora as a continuation of the July stage races in Spain. The team will travel to Zamora, which will open two weeks of competition in Castilla y León, with six riders looking for the victory.

Gabriele Bessega fifth in the recent Vuelta a Madrid, Tommaso Bessega sixth in the second stage and who already won a stage in Zamora in 2023, Dario Giuliano tenth in the fourth and fifth stage, Gabriele Raccagni fifth in the second stage and ninth in the third and Manuel Sanroma, who returned to competition after injury, will repeat in the line-up and will be in Zamora after showing a great level that earned them the victory in the team time trial of the aforementioned race together with Gerard Cano and Bálint Feldhoffer. Along with them, Slovakian Samuel Novak will return to competition with the team after a period of rest after the Giro Next Gen.

The route of the race will be very varied. The race will start with an individual time trial over a very explosive 4-kilometer course with two climbs of 700 and 900 meters respectively. The second stage will feature the first scoring climbs for the king of the mountain prize. There will be three climbs that, although far from the finish line, will be demanding for the riders’ legs and reduce the possibility of a mass sprint in Muga de Sayago. The third stage will be the longest of the edition with 143 kilometers and a multitude of climbs to overcome. With six climbs, it will follow a similar script to the previous day as it will not be hard enough to break the bunch completely.

The fourth stage will be the ‘queen’ stage of the race. The mountains will be present, with some really important mountain passes, in a stage with 111 kilometers and four climbs: Padornelo (3rd), A Canda (2nd), Ladiairo (2nd) and Marabón (1st). The fifth stage will be the most favorable for a sprint finish, although the finish in Villalazán will be a slight climb.

“After Giro I had elite nationals and a little restart to training and now I am getting back to shape. I am motivated and cant wait to see my teammates again. Team is doing great and I hope it will continue”, explains Samuel Novak with eagerness to return to the competition in the Vuelta a Zamora.

“We have changed the squad with respect to Madrid with the entry of Novak. The prologue will not be decisive, but it will make a difference. We are aiming for the general classification and also day by day we will fight in the finishes that are favorable for our riders. Dario is getting in good shape after the break, the Italians are doing an excellent job and Sanroma continues to grow and is key for the team-mates in the work that is not seen”, analyses Miguel Gómez, director of the under-23 team.

Stage 1: I.T.T Ricobayo De Alba – Ricobayo De Alba (4km)