Alejandro Ropero, after the Peace Race: “Facing the Nationals I will come great the rhythm that was here”

This Sunday ended the last international journey of Alejandro Ropero from Granada, who was making his debut in a call of the selection for the De Ronde and has just completed his third experience with Spain at the hands of the team that took part in the mythical Carrera de la Paz in the Czech Republic, sixth and penultimate test of the U23 Nations Cup promoted by the International Cycling Union (UCI). The cyclist from Otura, who finished 38th, at 20:36 of the Norwegian Andreas Leknessund, did his best to support the options of Unai Cuadrado, finally seventh in the overall final.

“It is incredible the level that there is in these races, and specifically in this one. Today I was ahead until the stage had about 25 kilometers left. In the end I finished 38th, the same place I occupy in the general classification. I’m convinced that I’m going to have a great rhythm for the Spanish Championships. And also we left very happy for the performance that the team has done in order to score points for the Tour del Porvenir”, says Ropero. “It hasn’t been a race that I can say we’ve worked very hard in the sense of being in the pack. The most important factor was to protect the leader, and that’s what we’ve been trying to do at all times, as the chances of getting points went to Unai, who was the first rider in the national team.

The Andalusian began by finishing 66th in the two-kilometre prologue with which Peace Race 2019 began last Thursday. Ropero was 13 seconds behind the winner, Dutchman Nils Eekhof. In Rymarov, the finish line for the first day, the Kometa Cycling Team rider had a great performance, getting involved in the arrival of a main squad that entered the finish line 1:09 from the day’s breakaway: he would be the 24th, first Spanish cyclist to cross the finish line.  In Dlouhé Strané, on Saturday, Ropero gave a little more than eight minutes with respect to the head of the race.

(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)