A Santikutz Klasika with a fight in the breakaway and a scare in the ditch

There are days when the sporting aspect is put aside due to circumstances. This year’s Santikutz Klasika 2023 generated this impression within the U23 structure of the Contador Foundation due to the serious crash suffered by Antonio González on the descent of the third pass through Liernia, in the last 59 kilometres. The rider from Soria, who did not lose consciousness, was taken to a hospital for tests and treatment. The initial scare, however, was great.

Antonio was riding in a group that was approaching the breakaway of fourteen riders in which Sebastiano Minoia and Gabriele Raccagni were already present. A breakaway that, in its genesis, in one of the first passes through Liernia, also came with a previous fall, this time without so many consequences, of an EOLO-KOMETA rider: Arnau Gilabert. The breakaway was selecting itself in an important way after the last pass through the finish line, with Minoia giving way on the unscored wall of Kitenberg, then Racca.

Fran Muñoz was involved in some of the movements that took place in an increasingly reduced main peloton of the leaders. Important riders were jumping out of this group, and on the climb to Las Minas a leading group of about twenty riders was formed, which became even smaller on the Atagoiti slope, the last climb on which Unai Zubeldia (Caja Laboral) attacked to secure his solo victory in Legazpi. Thomas Silva (Caja Rural) remains leader of the Cup and David Domínguez (Zamora Enamora) moves up to the elite leadership.

[? Unai Demi ]