The Vuelta a la Ribera del Duero arrives: for an unprecedented victory in an emerging and youth race of the calendar
Vuelta a la Ribera del Duero
From 22 to 25 August
For some years now, the competitive cycling scene in the province of Burgos has been weaving a network of heavyweight competitions within their respective categories or even modalities. The professional Vuelta a Burgos is the most veteran, but its feminine version is not missing (months before), in the same way it has also bet on the mountain bike and since three editions ago, around the Duero riverbank with Aranda de Duero as neuralgic center, the juvenile cycling counts on its particular great summer appointment.
The Vuelta a la Ribera del Duero is a young, emerging race which, with a view to its fourth edition, seeks to take a new step towards its consolidation as a great event beyond its region. The race from Burgos continues its geographical expansion, including now Valladolid soil to a route that has a stopover in Soria and passage through Segovia. The Duero River as a plot. With a view to 2019, the organisation proposes a uphill finish on the first day, next to one of the two castles (curious note) of Curiel de Duero and proposes an individual time trial for the third day that will arrive at another castle, that of Peñaranda de Duero. A race against the clock that promises to be decisive. The last stage does not fail in its passage through the Alto de Valdevacas (1.109 m), a reference for cycling in the area with its more than four kilometers and maximum ramps of 11%.
The Kometa Cycling Team comes with a powerful team that mixes first and second year riders. Carlos Rodríguez, Raúl García and Juan José Rosal lead a team made up of Francesc Bennassar, Pedro Beneit and David Quevedo. The ambitions are maximum for a race in which the Madrid team has not yet achieved a victory either in its final general or in any of its stages.
“If we stick to the profiles, it’s going to be a demanding lap. We are going to have a great level of participation. Personally, I’m looking forward to doing well and finding sensations after a break due to illness. And of course to help my teammates in everything possible to achieve a good result collectively,” says Cantabrian David Quevedo. Alicante’s Pedro Beneit, for his part, says: “I feel very well, I’ve been preparing for the championships in Spain and I think I’ll arrive in good shape. It’s a leg-breaking race, I’m curious to see if it adapts to my qualities. The time trial may be long, especially for the steep slopes and the possibility that I can blow some wind. And without a doubt, with the accumulated from the previous days, the last stage is going to be very hard”.
“A team led by Carlos, Raúl or Juanjo is always a guarantee as they are riders who have shown great maturity and a great ability to read the races. The Vuelta a la Ribera del Duero is a race that is growing a lot and is doing very well. In the context of a season that will be unforgettable, it would be nice to finally include it in the list of the youth team of the Alberto Contador Foundation”, tells Guillermo Gutiérrez, director of the Kometa Cycling Team junior.
The stages.
22nd August: Pedrosa de Duero – Curiel de Duero (81, 9 km).
23rd August: Langa de Duero – San Esteban de Gormaz (96 km).
24th August: Hontoria de Valdearados – Peñaranda de Duero (8.2 km CRI).
25 August: Aranda de Duero – Aranda de Duero (118 km).
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
