Carlos García and Jhon Stiven Ramírez, in the fight of an Aiztondo Klasikoa where Alejandro Ropero continues to add
XVI Aiztondo Klasikoa – Patxi Alkorta Memoriala
Villabona-Aduna (131.5 km)
A day of great exigency, hardened even more by the climatic conditions, water and cold, welcomed the dispute of the third round of the Cup of Spain elite and sub23. The Aiztondo Klasikoa from Guipuzcoa offered a great spectacle and an enormous fight where the riders of the Kometa Cycling Team always put up a battle. The team led by Rafa Diaz Justo, in fact, a faithful reflection of that fight, finished third overall by teams this Sunday. The Aiztondo Klasikoa had many attacks, but it was not decided until the final steepness of a kilometer with a slope around 7%.
The victory corresponded to the Burgalés Ángel Fuentes (Gomur), the Catalan Kiko Galván (Lizarte) retained the leadership of the tournament thanks to his third place and the Madrid-born Carlos García Pierna was the best classified among the riders of the U23 team of the Alberto Contador Foundation, with an eighth place that he knew little by little. The guy from Tres Cantos himself explains it: “I didn’t finish satisfied, the truth is that I arrived at the end with cramps and I couldn’t even try to compete. It was a pity, because you have to try to take advantage of these opportunities and when that doesn’t happen you don’t feel well. But well, we will continue to work hard”.
The whole team of the Kometa Cycling Team was present in a group of 50 units that was formed halfway through the test, a declaration of intentions. In the most consistent attack of all those produced, a quartet that served as the embryo of the group that would play the final victory, the Madrid team was represented by the hand of Colombian Jhon Stiven Ramirez. The South American rider left with a member of Froiz (Diego González) and two men from Lizarte (Roger Adriá, Íñigo Elósegui). The four of them opened the race, with an income that came to caress the minute. From behind, another eleven cyclists ended up arriving, among them a Carlos García fundamental in his genesis, creating a group of fifteen units.
“Two laps from the end I started the hard climb towards the finish line and I was able to go ahead. Later I was taken by a group of ten riders and we all caught up with the head of the race, with which we reached the finish line. But that’s what I said before, I didn’t end up satisfied because I couldn’t compete”, explains García, who scores 45 points in the Cup classification.
Alejandro Ropero from Granada was also in the fight to enter this group, who ended up giving time to the first chasing group, more than two minutes away. “We are already thinking about the next race, it has been a pity not to enter the leading group, but it has been a test of great hardness, has been a tremendous wear”, provides a Ropero who managed to add some points, 18, thanks to his sixteenth final place.
The Spanish Cup takes speed during this next week with the dispute of two tests the Grand Prix of First of Ontur (Albacete), on Thursday, and the Memorial Pascual Momparler of Villanueva de Castellón (Valencia), on Sunday.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
