António González 13º in Plateau de Beille

The first three stages of the Ronde de L’Isard had shown the team’s riders from the demands and the level of the race. After a start with results in a very regular line, but without standing out too much, the team managed to place three riders in the top20 of the fourth stage with a mountain finish. António González 13th at 2’51” was the best of the team at the finish.

The stage started with a breakaway of seven riders that achieved a maximum advantage of over 3’30”. The peloton went over the Col de la Croix des Morts (2nd) compact and with the continental teams controlling the race. They increased the pace of the chase to hunt down a breakaway that was beginning to break with attacks at the head of the race. On the ramps of the Col de Marmare (3rd) the breakaway was neutralized and on the descent the peloton broke into two groups.

27 riders were in the lead of the race with a 1′ gap to the second big group. Among those riders were Luca Bagnara, the best classified rider of the team and António González. The battle was maintained until the foot of Plateau de Beille (16km – 7.8%) where the result of the stage was decided. António González held on in a chasing group and managed to finish in 13th position. Luca Bagnara finished 18th and Martín Barrero 21th at the edge of the top20. The riders of the team fought face to face with the best squads in the under-23 category. Luca Bagnara (18th) is the best ranked rider of the team on the overall classification.

António González knew how to suffer during the stage and ended up achieving a good result: “It was a very tough stage, but not only because of the finish. We went very fast and in the long and technical downhill area is where the race was made. The group was cut off and we started at the foot of the pass with about 30 riders. The first kilometres of the climb were at a very high pace. The feeling was good, but the mind was also important, I knew how to suffer a lot. I stayed in the leader’s group until they dropped me with two kilometres to go. I’m happy because the feeling was good and it’s a good result”.

Rafael Díaz Justo valued very positively the result of António González after a complicated start of the race: “We started the first day with some riders who didn’t feel too well and were cut off. On the second day António had a brake problem in Val Louron and we had to change his bike. Yesterday they felt good and every day they are getting better and better. Today was a real test,” he explained. “António was spectacular, almost until two kilometres from the end he was with the leader’s group. In terms of the general classification he lost a lot of time, but his performance in a ‘Tour’ climb gives us a lot of information. Luca didn’t have his best day, but he was 18th, which is not bad, and Martin was 21st. We’ll finish the race tomorrow and start thinking about the Giro,” he finished.

Photo: Florian Frison / Ronde de L’Isard