The Kometa-Xstra is the protagonist of a pleasant hour of indoor cycling
The Kometa-Xstra Challenge by Gobik celebrated this Friday 8th May its third and last appointment with the competition of the twelve riders of the continental team in the Social Ride that was finally developed, over a little more than 30 kilometres, in one of the routes of the Watopia universe of the Zwift platform.
As the previous appointments, the meeting was broadcast live on the Youtube profile of the Alberto Contador Foundation and the comments of the speaker Juan Mari Guajardo. The Navarre native is in charge of the voice-over tasks in many races of the national professional and amateur calendar with the Tour of Spain at the head, he is undoubtedly the voice of cycling in our country.
This #KometaXstraChallengeByGobik provided several anecdotes. The Portuguese Daniel Viegas, for example, broke his roller in the middle of his effort. The coverage fulminated the signal of the Spanish José Antonio García, in another example of those things in the live. The Italian Riccardo Verza, one of the most active members of the Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team in Zwift, pointed out how in these two months he will have added nearly 3,000 kilometres. Very intense was the pulse that kept the Italian Alessandro Fancellu and the Spanish Alejandro Ropero. Fancellu would prevail with a start within the last 500 meters.
“At that moment the Internet signal failed and I opted for a full-blown start. It is clear that it is a game, because in reality it is something, that I beat Ropero in a hand to hand, that is not going to happen,” says Fancellu. “Alessandro is also very fast,” says the man from Granada. “He pulled me out and I couldn’t catch him. We’re very good partners, but there’s no truce here and he’s been busy all day,” he jokes.
“It was very good, I think we all had a great time,” said Diego Pablo Sevilla. A feeling shared by the Hungarians Marton Dina and Erik Fetter, the Dane Mathias Larsen, the Spaniard Sergio García and the Italians Giacomo Garavaglia and Antonio Puppio.
The Italian Ivan Basso, sports manager of the Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team, did not want to miss the opportunity, took part in the initiative and valued the current moment of cycling. “The bike is always part of my life. A lot or a little, but I always dedicate time to the bike. It is clear that, in general, it is not an easy moment, but the bicycle has taught us to fight and attack again and again, even if you do not have the strength. And that’s what we’re going to keep trying to do.
“You are always aware of the existence of these kinds of resources, because the riders, the fans and ultimately the cycling people tell you about them. Personally, I wasn’t a user. For me it has been a real discovery from the point of view of the possibilities it brings to this sport. In these times of health emergency and confinement, it has allowed us to continue giving visibility to the teams by supplying them with these initiatives”, comments Juan Mari Guajardo.
“This type of cycling does not replace the type of cycling we know, love and expect. Cycling, because it is celebrated in a natural environment, because it is essentially an itinerant sport, cannot be concentrated in a virtual universe. It is impossible. But having that clear idea, with a view to the future, to moments without competitions, for example the winter or the pre-season, raises interesting scenarios”, he concludes.
The Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team and the Alberto Contador Foundation would like to thank amg HERO and ADZ for their intense collaboration in setting up this three-event calendar.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
