“The feeling was good; I’m happy to have been able to make my debut in the new colours”

XXXIX Memorial Juan Manuel Santisteban
Colindres-Colindres (140,9 km)

A debut is always exciting. To unsuspected extremes. But riding alone is always difficult, it leaves you very exposed in the event of a breakdown or mechanical incident. This was the case this Sunday in Cantabria. Álvaro García, one of the new faces of EOLO-KOMETA U23, took part in the Memorial Santiesteban de Colindres. A highly demanded edition due to the evolution of the health situation and its influence on the calendar.

García, alone in the face of danger, was unable to finish as a result of a mechanical problem. An occupational hazard. “It wasn’t the best day. One kilometre from the summit of Asón I had a blow to the rear wheel, the gearbox was bent and the wheel hub got stuck. It was impossible for me to catch the front group”, he laments.

In previous years, the Memorial had coincided with the Memorial Guerrita, which counted towards the Spanish Cup. The circumstances at the start of 2021 meant that this year’s Santisteban Memorial brought together a very high quality peloton in Colindres. The truth is that it is a remarkable and prestigious race, both in terms of tradition and route.

The climbs to La Gandara, Alisas, Campo La Cruz and Bueras, in the second part of the route, marked the decisive stretch for the fight for the victory. Alisas is long, more than nine kilometres, and constant. And Campo La Cruz, with more than three kilometres with an average gradient of over 8% and ramps of over 12%. Enough terrain to break the race. It was in Bueras where the final winner, the Cantabrian Iván Cobo, cemented his victory.

“Despite the breakdown, I’ll keep the good things. The sensations were good and I’m happy to have been able to make my debut with the new colours in such a complicated situation. The context was also a bit strange: I missed my teammates, the director, the assistants… That’s what I’ll keep, the good feelings. It’s time to keep working,” concludes García.

[📷 Carmen del Campo]