The Kometa-Xstra concludes the Giro U23 as the best team and with Alejandro Ropero in the top ten
Giro d´Italia U23
Stage 8: Aprica-Aprica (120,7 km)
The Spanish rider Alejandro Ropero finished seventh overall in an intense Giro d’Italia U23 after a demanding day with the Mortirolo on the course where the Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team put in a great performance. Ropero finished ninth, at 4:25 from a Tom Pidcock (Trinity) who not only had no problem defending his maglia rosa but reinforced it by beating the Belgian Henri Vandenabeele (Lotto-Soudal) in the sprint. The third partial success of the British, great dominator. The Contador Foundation’s continental line-up, in an intense battle with the Trinity, was able to retain its first place in the overall team standings. A formidable result.
“A magnificent finish to the race that leaves us very happy. The victory in the general team competition was the prize for the great regularity of the whole team during this week. Also of Viegas, who could not finish the race and while he was here he gave everything. Personally, also very satisfied. I came to try to win some stages, something that I was fortunate enough to achieve on the first day, and in the end I also left with this nice position in the general classification”, explains Ropero himself.
Dario Andriotto, director of the Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team: “The balance of this Giro d’Italia U23 is very good. Firstly because of the attitude of the boys during all the days, always present in the day to day, attentive to all the evolutions of each day that in a race like this are many and very changeable. The victory in the overall team competition and the entry of Alejandro in the top ten final come to reward all these efforts. We are a Team. A very important stage victory was achieved and he showed off his pink jersey for some days. To manage the day to day is not easy in the Giro given the great concurrence. The falls on the second day ended up depriving us of an exceptional rider in the support and work as Viegas, who fought for two days to be able to continue with the perspective of being able to improve, and also affected Fancellu with a view to a better final classification, more faithful to his qualities and his quality as a rider. Attitude, commitment, ambition and all this with humility. I am happy, yes, about how this Giro has gone for us”.
In the overall final Ropero finished seventh at 10:59 by Thomas Pidcock. Sergio Garcia finished 19th, at 21:51. The stagiaire Eduardo Perez-Landaluce, who had a great race and crossed the finish line in Aprica in an outstanding eleventh place, finished 28th at 22:01.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
