Edu Pérez-Landaluce wins the bronze medal in a tough Spanish U23 Championship

Spanish Cycling Championship
U23 race: Úbeda-Baeza (131 km)

The Asturian Eduardo Perez-Landaluce finished third in the demanding road test of the category u23 celebrated this Saturday between Úbeda and Baeza. A race that was expected to be very hard, given the orographic proposal of the circuit, and that finally was disputed on one lap less than the six planned due to a bus that got stuck on the road and forced to neutralize the race when the cyclists had passed for the first time under the finish line.

Javier Romo, from Toledo, with a long past in triathlon and who has recently focused on the bike, won the red jersey of the category after going on the attack in the penultimate climb to Alto de Mazuecos and consolidating his bet during the final lap with a lead that exceeded two minutes. Romo had jumped from a group of nine units that had formed inside the penultimate lap. A group that included three riders from the Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team: Álex Martín (Catalonia), Fernando Tercero (Castilla-La Mancha) and Pérez-Landaluce (Asturias).

Until the configuration of this fundamental escape for the resolution of the race other riders like Vicente Hernaiz (Castilla y León) or Joan Martí Bennassar (Balearic Islands) had also been involved in offensive movements either in company or alone, as was initially the case of the Balearic. Less fortunate were the Riojan Arturo Grávalos, involved in an early fall, and the Andalusian Mario Vilches, affected by an untimely breakdown and a temporary change of bicycle.

The Oviedo, with Romo already highlighted in the forefront of the race, tried to recover some time lost in the penultimate climb to Mazuecos, those seven kilometers with an average slope above 5% that selected a lot of these Nationals, and left alone. The difference between Romo and Pérez-Landaluce was always over two minutes. Already in the final ascent, from behind came Jokin Murguialday (Euskadi). Pérez-Landaluce was able to resist to secure the third place on the podium.

Fourth, at 2:51 from the winner, finished the Catalan Álex Martín. “It was already clear that the race was going to be very hard both because of the course and the heat. And so it has been. Even taking a lap off it was really hard. I was feeling pretty good, although I didn’t know how I would be after such a long time without competing. With two laps to go, after the finish line, the group was good. First four riders started, then I started from the back in solitary and then four other riders. All nine of us walked well. Romo started before the pass with two other riders and left them on the climb. The last lap was a question of everyone’s strength,” said the Barcelona native.

Fernando Tercero from La Mancha, who had just finished sixth in the time trial on Friday, finished within the top ten in his first season in the category. He finished ninth at 3:48. “I make a very good reading of these championships. They have come out very well, being a first year. I didn’t expect to be so far ahead. On the last climb I had some cramps, and it was very hot, and I couldn’t finish completely. But I’m very happy with this ninth place”, says the one from Valdepeñas.

Edu Pérez-Landaluce, third in the U23 road race of the Spanish Championships 2020: “I am more happy than the medal for the race in general. It has been very hard. It was known that it would be like that, because the route had many meters of unevenness and the heat was going to be also determinant. Just at the beginning there was a big fall that left many people touched and then the bus stopped. I also had a mechanical problem that forced me to change bikes, I did a good part of the race with one of the neutral car. I had to row a lot to get back to the leading group, but I felt strong. In the end, well, a pity, but I was already empty. But I always had a good feeling. Yesterday I didn’t make a time trial according to my form, but I was clear that this wouldn’t stop me from going all out today”.

📷 RFEC

(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)