An opening saved despite the circumstances of a big crash that cut the group up

A crash in the main peloton when the first stage of the Volta a Castellò had about fifteen kilometres to go to the finish line in Bejís, ruined the chances of the riders of the U23 team of the Contador Foundation in the opening stage of the Levantine race. From that fall, a group of eighteen riders took the lead, without blue representation, and in that fall was involved, fortunately without serious consequences, Sebastiano Minoia. The Italian lost more than five minutes in Bejís.

This leading group would catch Sean Christian (Aevolo) and Raúl Casadelrey (Froiz) in the last eight thousand metres of the day, the main protagonists of the day with a breakaway in the first kilometres that reached a lead of more than five minutes over the big group, a peloton that allowed another chasing pair (Pau Rodríguez, from MP Group; and Debaele, from Basso Team) to intercalate midway through the day.

British rider Louis Sutton (Aix en Provence) would break away in the rising final part of the leading group to take the partial solo victory and the provisional lead. Behind his pursuers, a larger group with Raúl López (18th at the finish), Álex García, Luca Bagnara and Edoardo Alleva began to arrive, very fractioned, more than 1’10” from the winner. In the Vuelta a Castellón the differences that may seem important end up turning upside down in many occasions given the provincial orographic demands.

An example, this Friday. For this Friday, the second stage, almost 3,000 metres of positive ascent in the 158 kilometres that will separate L`Alcora from Altura. The climbs to Salto del Caballo (long and straight, even with breaks, but with some steep sections), the Collado de Ayódar (5 km at 4.4%) and La Nevera (11 km at 4% with two tougher final kilometres in which ramps of 16% will have to be managed) will add pepper to the mix. However, towards the finish line there will be several steep, but not scoring, climbs.