Fancellu, Sergio, Carlos and Martín, in the leading group of a Vuelta a Palencia where a puncture stoped Ropero

52ª Vuelta Ciclista a Palencia
Stage 1: Galletas Gullón – Aguilar de Campoo (148.9 km)

The return of the Vuelta a Palencia to the roads took place this Friday with a first stage marked by fans and cuts in which the Italian Alessandro Fancellu finished fifth, with the same time as the winner and first leader Alejandro Gomiz (Mutua Levante), the fastest in a group of 39 units that reached the finish on Santander Avenue.

In addition to Fancellu, both Sergio García and Carlos García and also Álex Martín were in that first leading group from which the winner of the final overall of the recovered Palencia round could possibly come out. Alejandro Ropero could not be in that vanguard because of an inopportune puncture and finished at 1:48 of the winner.

Ropero was riding at the head of the race with twenty kilometres to go, when he managed to take a very interesting cut made up of four cyclists from Lizarte, four from Caja Rural, another from Gomur and another from Froiz. Eleven units at the head of the race from which he dropped as a result of that puncture in the front wheel that even forced him to manage with many precautions a downhill stretch.

For this Saturday, a very complicated stage for the demanding end in the Sanctuary of the Heather, a not very long ascent but that concentrates great hardness in his last two kilometers. An important first day for the final general in the Palencia round.

(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)