From the breakaway, so close to ‘Parla italiano’: Manuel Oioli, second in the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Madrid
34º Vuelta a Madrid sub23
Stage 4: Parla – Parla (138,6 km)
Saturday’s finish in the Vuelta a Madrid… so close to ‘Parla italiano’. The Piemontese Manuel Oioli finished second in the finish of Parla, a day in which the breakaway triumphed and in which the rider of the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team caressed his debut in the category before Xabier Berasategi (Caja Rural), winner in the Avenida de los Planetas, Francisco Peñuela, and Gorka Ortega. A very tight and aesthetic finish.
Fifteen or so riders managed to distance themselves from the peloton in the first hour, and after more than 30 kilometres a group in which both Manuel Oioli and Arnau Gilabert rode. This well-matched leading group had a lead of more than four minutes over the peloton. 4’24” at the 80th kilometre mark. In the last 20 kilometres, in a phase of attacks on the front, the margin was still over three minutes. Victory was in front.
Oioli, Francisco Peñuela (GSport), Berasategui, Gorka Ortega (Baqué) and Mikel Agirrebeitia (Baqué) completed a move in two stages, a trio plus the duo that arrived later, which headed into the last ten kilometres. The peloton would finish two minutes later and in it, about forty units, the leader Abel Balderstone (Caja Rural) and Marcel Camprubí, second classified, saved the day.
Oioli, in his first year in the category, achieved his best result of a season in which positions in the top ten are beginning to emerge. “The whole day went full gas”, he said after the stage. “I had good legs and we were warned that on a day like today it was especially important to get into the breakaway. I worked hard in the first kilometres to catch the breakaway. In the end it was possible”.
“In the last twenty kilometres the breakaways started to arrive at the front. I managed to make a very good attack and we were left with five riders. The attacks came again at the end, I had to close several attacks and I felt I was being watched. At the end, in the sprint, I was a bit tired and I started too late. Berasategi did a great sprint, he was the strongest and we have to congratulate him on how well he finished”.
