Joan Martí Bennassar, bronze in the time trial of the Spanish U23 Championships

Spanish Cycling Championship 2018

ITT U23: Vall d´Alba-Vall d´Alba (19.5 km ITT)

The Mallorcan Joan Martí Bennassar, representing the selection of the Balearic Islands, won the bronze medal in the time trial of the U23 category, held this Friday on 19.5 kilometers with start and finish in the town of Vall d´Alba, Castellón. The Polartec-Kometa U23 rider set a time of 25:40, 2 seconds worse than the Catalan Roger Adriá and 24 seconds worse than the Galician Martín Bouzas, the new champion. Bennassar, two seconds from silver in his first year in the category.

Marked as one of the important men with options in the previous days, despite being in his first year in the U23 category, Martí Bennassar set a sensational time trial, setting the best provisional time both in the intermediate control points and also in the finish line, where he lowered the record set by the Catalan Martí Márquez by 7 seconds. A great pin to a day of doubtful starting because of some problems with the measurements of your bike.

“I’m very happy”, says the Mallorcan. “I felt very strong, although I had a little problem before I started with the regulation of the measures. The truth is that I was very nervous, I didn’t warm up well and I wasn’t 100% focused. But in the end I calmed the nerves, we solved the problem and with this third place I am more than happy. Really happy. I’ve given everything, but everything, on the bike. In the time trial I managed to do the best parts and in the hardest part, at the end, where the gaps with Bouzas have been slightly reduced. Staying two seconds away from the silver is… buf, my mother, incredible. I am very happy. I’m a freshman. It’s a great learning experience for the future. I am very grateful to Rafa [Diaz Justo] and Carlos [Barredo] for all their support. And to the Balearic coach, Joan Horrach, for trusting me. And of course to all my colleagues, who have congratulated me as if it were their own success”.

José Antonio García also participated in the time trial of the U23 discipline that opened the Spanish Championships. The Polartec-Kometa from Granada, representing Andalusia, finished in twenty-first position, 2:28 from the new national champion. “At the start I looked very good, with a good pace, riding fast, moving development…. I was still too developed; from the middle of the time trial onwards, looking ahead to the end, I was a bit stiff and I lost a lot of time”.

(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)

📸 RFEC