Alejandro Ropero finishes second in the Spanish Cup after finishing third in the GP Macario
XXI Gran Premio Macario
Alcalá de Henares-Alcalá de Henares (155 km)
Alejandro Ropero from Granada signed the best performance in the overall final of the Spanish Cup of the U23 structure of the Alberto Contador Foundation since its creation after finishing second in the classification of the competition in 2019. The cyclist of Otura, who approached the last race with mathematical options of triumph, finished third in a Grand Prix Macario of Alcalá de Henares in which the victory was for the Venezuelan Leangel Linarez (Kuota). The ‘lizarte’ Roger Adriá, second, secured the final title in the competition, but Ropero managed to add enough points to snatch the second drawer from the also rider of Lizarte Kiko Galván.
The meeting in Madrid, the last race of the Spanish Cup, was resolved in the sprint of a large group, about ninety units, the survivors of the management of a nervous course where never stopped blowing a light wind. The day did not start in the best way with a fall, in full neutralized, of Yago Segovia, and an early breakdown of the Italian Alessandro Fancellu. Both, with Segovia suffering a mechanical problem in the first climb, had to recover, riding cut in a group that finally returned to the discipline of the big group.
From the pack, after some previous attempts, after 28 kilometres of racing, twelve riders stood out, including the ‘kometa’ Eduardo Pérez-Landaluce and the Italian Alessio Acco. A leak that would be consolidated in the following kilometres, riding with up to three and a half minutes of maximum income (kilometre 58) when the peloton lifted its foot a little. The tonic would be maintained until the last climb to Torres, where the leak was reduced to seven elements with a very active Edu Perez-Landaluce in the forefront. “We managed to keep the race alive and I felt very good”, said the Asturian, who stood out this Sunday.
In the framework of several attacks, including an acceleration with the signature of Alessandro Fancellu, of the pack several riders left ahead, reaching the seven runaways, and end up forming a leading group of fourteen units that rolled up to 45 seconds ahead. Fifteen kilometers from the finish Alejandro Ropero would accelerate on a steep slope, provoking a quick reaction from the leader. In the vicinity of Alcalá de Henares, within the last nine kilometers, and in spite of some isolated attack later, the neutralization took place. There would be a sprint. And Fancellu was also involved in that finish, finally eleventh: “I felt very good and I’m very happy for how the race went”.
Alejandro Ropero, second classified in the Spanish Cup elite-sub23 2019: “We knew it was going to be very complicated. In the end we took advantage of the points where we could do the most damage. We didn’t get the leader to give up, but at least we were able to move up to the second drawer of the final overall. As hard as the race was, it wasn’t the terrain where the most damage could be done to them. We have done what we could and we have to congratulate them for the victory in the general team as well as in the individual one. The third place in the GP Macario tastes to us little by little, but in the end it is the reflection that we have been fighting until the end, we have been fighting ahead. I’m very grateful to all my team mates, who were another time impressive today”.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
