Antonio Morgado hits first in Besaya, with Nil Aguilera among the top riders on the opening day

Vuelta al Besaya
Stage 1: Los Corrales de Buelna – San Felices de Buelna (116 km)

The Collada de Cieza was the springboard on which the Portuguese rider Antonio Morgado, current winner of the race, was propelled to win the first stage of the 2022 edition and, therefore, take the first leader’s jersey. The Portuguese rider did not finish first on the great orographic difficulty of the day, such honour went to the Colombian Guillermo Juan Martínez, but Morgado caught up with him and distanced him on his descent, amassing a small advantage over the chasers. At the finish, 21 seconds.

Among those pursuers was Nil Aguilera. The rider from Igualada crowned Cieza in fourth place. The Catalan was very attentive to the movements of Morgado and the Belgian Sente Setjens. Together with the Belgian, the Colombian and Estanislao Calabuig (Bathco) and Nil Gimeno (MMR) made up the chasing quintet of the cyclist from Bairrada. At 1’26” from the Portuguese rider, a first bunch of 40 riders arrived, with César Pérez (11th), Pedro García (12th), Joel Díaz (16th), David Puente (34th) and Lucas Guillermo (44th).

Until the climb to Cieza, a solo breakaway was led by Ricardo Martín Buba (Drone Hopper) and a chasing septet in which Lucas Guillermo from La Rioja rode. The great ascent of the day incited the control and the rhythm by a Bairrada that leaves the first day with the leadership. Nil Aguilera is fifth overall.

This Friday, 95 kilometres between Suances and Bostronizo. A stage with a high finish with climbs to Ubiarco and San Cipriano to make it tougher. From San Juan de Raicedo the final climb to the enclave of Bostronizo is 4 kilometres at an average gradient of over 6.5%.

[📷 Mónica del Campo]