Canton and Sevilla, spectacular gold and bronze medals in the Spanish Championship

The Polartec-Alberto Contador Foundation riders were the great winners of the Road Spanish Championship, where they won the Gold and Bronze medals thanks to Isaac Cantón and Diego Pablo Sevilla, who dominated a very tactical end of the race against great rivals, especially Álvaro Cuadros (silver) and Fernando Barceló (fourth), both also grown up in the Contador Foundation.

Isaac Canton was today the happiest in the goal, having achieved a great victory after a long time and many bad moments. “It had been four years without winning for one thing or another. It seemed impossible that I could crown a race and now I’m in a cloud. This medal is a prize after much work and much sacrifice, and not only in this season”, said the rider from Castilla La Mancha.

However, Canton has always managed to shine in the Championships, both in Spain and in his Community. Last year he was the champion of Castilla La Mancha and now he has achieved the national title, after being a year ago 5º in the time trial and 4º in route. “They’re not bad for me, they seem to be something special to me”, acknowledges Isaac. “The key here is to be attentive to breakaways and to be always ahead, without relaxing”.

The key today was to count, moreover, with a teammate with whom he worked perfectly, Diego Pablo Sevilla. “In the group for the final there were many teams with two riders, but both Diego and me were alone, so it was clear that we had to understand each other, not only because we are great friends, but because we are also from the same team, Polartec”.

The tactics paid off. “The victory was also thanks to Sevilla. In the last kilometer climb, Diego told me to attack and I did. He was left behind to control the rivals and has gone very well”. Above all, when Isaac remembers that he didnt have very good `sensations at the beginning. “I was having a hard time. I crashed in L’Isard, in France, and then I didn’t go well in Castellón. I felt discouraged and that’s why I decided not to do the time trial, to save everything I had for today. Maybe that’s why I felt very comfortable in the race and I had the strength to finish. In the last lap I have tested them and I saw that they were not very strong, so when I attacked nobody has come out for me and I have left my life until the finish”.

Diego Pablo Sevilla, bronze with golden flavor

One of the best riders of the Polartec so far this season, Diego Pablo Sevilla, was also one of the most watched riders, being one of the most dangerous in a finish that could be decided in a select group, as it happened.

“I did not feel very good at the start of the race, because I came from being in altitude and I lacked some rhythm, but my team bet on me at the end and that has motivated me and made me feel better and better”, he explained. “When the selection was made on the last lap, we all tried to go and I saw that Isaac was very strong. At that moment we talked, because there were many teams with two riders and we were alone. That’s why I told him to attack, to see if he could go on and, if he was caught, I could try to win the sprint”.

“I have been very watched”, said Diego Pablo Sevilla, “but we did our job, we could not step on each other, it was clear that the tactic was that. I focused on keeping Cuadros’ wheel, which was also very strong, and I think if the sprint was a little longer I could even pass him”. But that is not the most important thing, but a gold-flavored medal. Surely Isaac Canton will soon give him one of his new jerseys.

The excellent performance of Polartec riders was completed on Friday by Juan Camacho in the individual time trial, in which he was fourth, only 4 seconds to climb the podium, once again showing his quality, which only one little more luck.

(Automatic translation. Forgive inaccuracies).