Clásica Navarra a new challenge for the junior team
After a weekend without competition for the junior riders after the Vuelta a Asturias, the team will be back in a newly created race, the Clásica Navarra or Nafarroa Klasika. This year the race changes location, leaving Villatuerta behind and taking Estella as a reference point.
Eight riders will form the squad that will travel to the race in Navarre. Iker Díaz, Eleazar Jiménez, José Miguel Moreira, Pablo Leno and Hector Teruel will repeat in the line-up that also competed in the Vuelta a la Montaña Central. They will be joined by Oscar Orts, Carlos Moreno and Hugo Pradas.
The route of the race will be 114 kilometres and 1300 meters of climbing. The cyclists will have to overcome 4 ascents as well as several steep climbs. It will be a selective race, especially in its final part, from kilometre 65 onwards, where most of the most demanding terrain will be concentrated. The Alto de San Lorenzo (2nd) will test the riders’ legs at the start of the race with a short but very explosive climb on a very narrow road. The terrain that will follow the first climb will be much more comfortable until the aforementioned 65th kilometre. The climbs to the Alto de Grocín (3rd) and the Alto de Lezaun (2nd) will follow. Once both climbs have been crowned, the riders will descend to the town of Estella, where the finish line will be located, and then consecutively climb the Alto de Eraul (2nd) and the Alto de Muru which will be crowned 4 kilometres from the finish line on completely favorable terrain.
“This weekend we are going to a beautiful race that is also tough in terms of the course and the teams taking part. It is an area that has no rest and where we will also see the role of the wind. We’re bringing a team to be active in the race from start to finish and we’re going to fight for it”, explains Isaac Cantón, sports director of the junior team.
Oscar Orts returns to the competition with the team and will be one of the important cards in Cantón’s hand: “I’m looking forward to this weekend to give everything with the team and try to get the victory. My feelings are getting better and better lately and all my teammates are also in good shape. I’m sure we’ll do a lot of damage”.
“I feel very well for the race. I had a short break after the Vuelta a Asturias because I was tired. I feel good, I’ve improved my numbers this week. We are going to go with a strong team, I think we are all going to be at the front and we are going to fight a lot”, explains Hector Teruel, another of the cyclists that Cantón will line for the Clásica Navarra.
