Edoardo Alleva is close to victory in Villalcampo

Once again very close to victory. Italian Edoardo Alleva came close to victory for the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team U23 in the Vuelta a Zamora on Thursday in a finish at Villalcampo, stage of the prestigious Trofeo San José, where he finished second, only behind Czech Vojtech Kmínek (Cortizo). Another dizzying stage, completed at an average of over 44 km/h.

From the second fraction, a breakaway of three riders (Fernando Manuel Rodríguez, Team Extremadura; Marcos Gómez, Maglia Tecnosylva; and Juanjo Pérez, Brócoli Mecánico), five in its final stages (with the arrival of ‘High Level’ Jordi Gandía and ‘Tenerife-Bike Point’ Miguel Moya), which came to an end at the last flying finish, thirty kilometres from the end. And from there, attempts and control with the final climb on the horizon.

Edoardo Alleva, the best U23 rider of the day and who is now tenth in an overall where Tommaso Bessega remains fifth: “We were very close, a pity, but tomorrow we’ll have another chance. The final climb wasn’t particularly steep, but with the speed we were going it was really hard. The team-mates did a great job and towards the end I did the sprint a tutta, but in the end I wasn’t able to overtake Kminek”.

Up to 66 riders are still equal on time in the classification of a race that this Friday faces a third stage that, between Perilla de Castro and Carbajales de Alba, presents a much more broken route and will have its finish line in a third category climb that will surely bring some small differences.

[? Álvaro García / Vuelta Ciclista a Zamora]