Ambition without prize for the Polartec-Kometa at Subida a Gorla

Great performance of Polartec-Kometa in the 44th edition of the Subida a Gorla, the famous race that this Sunday was held in Bergara on a revamped 140-kilometer course and under adverse weather conditions. The Andalusian Juan Pedro Lopez finished fourth in a test in which the Norwegian Torbjorn Hejman won. But he and the team were great protagonists.

The recent Guerrita Trophy champion went on the attack soon. The first ramps of the second and last climb to Gorla had reduced the head group to just a score of units. The work of Polartec-Kometa, practically in command of the main group since kilometer 40, had been fundamental in the control of the race and flight of nineteen riders that was formed soon and in which there was representation of Daniel Viegas.

At the start of the final climb to Gorla Lopez attacked forcefully. Only the lizarte’s raider Roger Adriá (Lizarte) could follow him, although later both were reached by the Colombian Gabriel Silva (Eulen). Three kilometers from the end a group of eight cyclists was formed, among whom were Hejman (Hostal Latorre) and Iván Moreno (Lizarte), who would later attack to play the victory.

“It’s been a race with extreme weather, a lot of cold and a lot of water. These conditions have led us to take the decision to protect ourselves in the event of breakdowns and crashs, and we have done so by taking control of the main group from kilometer 40. In the front you are always more protected in these circumstances”, explains team director Rafa Diaz.

“We did very fast the first climb to Gorla and we managed to leave the peloton in about 45 riders. In the descent, Jorge Pastor suffered a puncture and that has changed our plans a bit, because he was coming at a very good moment and we were confident in his work. But with the race launched it was difficult to turn the wheel on time and reconnect. Even so we have continued pulling until the last climb”, he adds.

Juan Pedro López, on the other hand, indicates: “It has been a very hard day. The team has been impressive, incredible. The race has come out as we have proposed. I think my heart was a little bit too, because I started just at the beginning of the climb and it became long. But I’m happy and the sensations have been very good”.

📸 Endika Oregui