Against the most awaited Memorial Valenciaga
48th Memorial Valenciaga
Eibar-Eibar (167.5 km)
On April 8, 2018 time stood still for the Memorial Valenciaga. The 47th edition started, but nobody showed the most ambitious txapela of the amateur field. A fall of two riders and an accident of a motorcycle link demanded all ambulances deployed in the race, kept them busy and it was impossible to resume a competition despite a first moment of waiting while keeping it neutralized. In a historic decision, backed by regulations and common sense, there can be no competition without coverage of health services, the race was suspended. A strange day in the long history of the Club Ciclista Eibarrés. And national cycling also.
Last year’s events make the 2019 edition even more special than the Valenciaga year after year. The great appointment of the amateur field, the test of reference of the category, a scale with international repercussion and an objective of glances for technicians, manager and representatives. “One of the most special races of the year”, says without doubt the Galician Alejandro Regueiro. A hot spot in the Spanish Cup where two men like Óscar Freire or Joaquim Rodríguez won in the past. The track will be the traditional 167.5 kilometres with a finish in Toribio Etxebarria street, including the pass through Altos de Itzia (km 23.9), Meagas (km 48.9), Azkarate (km 78.2), Elgeta (km 105.6), Ixua (km 143.4) and San Miguel (km 155.3). The weather forecast points to rain and cold.
The seventh round of the Spanish Cup arrives with Lizarte Roger Adriá in front of an absolute general in which Alejandro Ropero from Granada remains in sixth place, with 301 points, 114 from the leader of the Catalan. The one from Otura will lead again the team of a Kometa Cycling Team that will line up Carlos García, Arturo Grávalos, Eduardo Pérez-Landaluce, Alejandro Regueiro, the Colombian Jhon Stiven Ramirez and the Italian Alessandro Fancellu in this edition of the Valenciaga. “The Cup is getting very interesting,” says director Rafa Diaz Justo. “It’s true that it’s getting harder and harder, but we’re going to fight for the podium. The Memorial Valenciaga is a race that always eliminates a lot of people, let’s see how we do”.
“I’m really looking forward to it and the sensations are very good”, explains Alejandro Ropero. “I also felt good and I like the rain a lot”, says Arturo Grávalos from La Rioja, who returned to the competition in the Torredonjimeno Classic. Carlos García, for his part, faces Valenciaga after suffering a lot in the Andalusian race. “I’m still touched. In Jaén I had a very bad time. I was very cold and blocked a lot. Let’s see how Valenciaga looks now, where it’s very possible that the weather will be bad. The adverse weather is worse for me, but because of the race and the name it has at the end it doesn’t matter how the day goes out. Al Valenciaga goes with all the motivation and all the desire. From what I’ve been told, it’s a very tough race. The part we did last year was already hard without having reached the end, which is where the hardness concentrates more”.
By his side Fancellu will discover one of the most iconic appointments of the state scene after having been one of the animators of the last edition of the Memorial Pascual Momparler. “I know that Valenciaga is one of the most important competitions in Spain and for this reason I hope to make a great race. The altimetry impresses with the hardness that is intuited and also for this reason I hope to be at a high level. Of course I will give everything, we’ll see how it goes on Sunday,” says the bronze medalist in the last world championships of the junior category”.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
