David Martín finishes third in the reduced opening sprint in Maliaño

Vuelta Ciclista a Cantabria
Stage 1: Solia – Maliaño (148,8 km)

Endika Balza de Vallejo from Alava won this Thursday the opening stage of the Vuelta a Cantabria, a first stage finishing in Maliaño in which the Andalusian David Martín finished third in the sprint of the reduced group that faced the finish after the always selective ascent to El Churi. Vicente Hernaiz from Castilla-León was in the top-10: tenth.

The group that was playing for the victory threw down in the last kilometre a move by Imanol Álvarez, the umpteenth attempt of a day rich in moves and offensives, with a breakaway that reached a four and a half minute advantage and that ended definitively in the last 30 kilometres after the efforts of several groups, among them the U23 structure of the Contador Foundation.

#VueltaCantabria. Endika Balza de Vallejo se impone en la primera etapa de la @vueltacantabria. @daviilillo, tercero en el sprint del pequeño grupo que encaró el final tras ascender El Churi.
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Martín, from Seville, had already made his presence felt. After the first of two passes through El Churi, he moved with other riders in a fleeting attempt to take the lead with 20 kilometres to go. On the last lap, within the final 8 kilometres, it was Vicente Hernaiz who moved to the front of the race, with Álvarez already alone at that point.

For this Friday, 135 kilometres starting and finishing in Vioño with three passes over the Alto de La Montaña in the last third of the day.