Fernando Tercero takes the lead in the Manuel Sanroma Memorial after a great offensive in Las Huertezuelas
Memorial Manuel Sanroma
Stage 2: Almagro – Almagro (168 km)
The rider of Valdepeñas Fernando Tercero was proclaimed winner of the Memorial Manolo Sanroma 2022 on Sunday, with Davide Piganzoli in second place on the final podium and the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team leading the overall team standings, after a formidable offensive on the approach to the climb of Las Huertezuelas and the ascent of this iconic climb of Sierra Morena. Tercero, who started with the bib number 1, debuts his palmares and that of the U23 team of the Contador Foundation this season. The second and final stage was won by Carmelo Urbano from Malaga.
The passage through the CR-P-5041 road, a narrow, very winding and bumpy stretch before the ascent to Las Huertezuelas, was fundamental for the resolution of this edition. There, the team led by Rafa Díaz Justo imposed a high pace that led to a great selection, which was crucial in the end. Fernando Tercero, Davide Piganzoli, Carmelo Froiz (Froiz) and Iñaki Díaz (Caja Rural) reached the summit with more than a minute’s margin and almost 100 kilometres ahead.
While behind there was a regrouping, the genesis of a peloton of around 40 riders, the four leading riders consolidated an advantage of around a minute and a half. Díaz finally dropped out of the quartet due to a puncture. The leading trio worked hard to increase their advantage and consolidate the Valdepeñas rider’s assault on the overall. It is the second consecutive victory of the Contador Foundation in the Almagro race after the one achieved by the now professional David Martín. He was joined on the podium by his teammate Davide Piganzoli and the ‘caja rural’ Andoni López de Abetxuko.
Fernando Tercero, final winner of the Sanroma Memorial: “We intended to ride very fast on the road section before the pass, which is tough and has many curves. It was important to get there first, because the whip by then was big. The pace had to be high and wait to see what would happen. On the climb to Las Huertezuelas there were four of us, Carmelo Urbano, Iñaki Díaz and the two of us. From there we went flat out, rowing all the way to the finish line. We didn’t think we could make it, but we had to try. At the end, with a view to the last climb, we already had three minutes and then we started to think that it was possible. But we didn’t really have it all together until the end. In the end it was possible, it’s very nice to be able to win at home. The team was great and without the support of the team it wouldn’t have been possible. Thanks to everyone for their work”.
Davide Piganzoli, second on the last stage and the overall of the race: “We had talked about carrying the weight of the race in order to work for Fernando, who was well placed in the general classification and who is practically racing at home. The idea was to take the climb very, very fast and wait to see how everything went. And we went flat out all day, always at full throttle, and in the end we were able to take a big lead”.
Along with Tercero’s victory and Piganzoli’s second place, the top ten of the emerging La Mancha race also included Javi Serrano from Madrid, sixth in the last stage and fifth in the final classification, and Fran Muñoz from Barcelona, eighth. The EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team U23, as a result of the good group performances of the two days, would conclude this edition of the Memorial Manuel Sanroma in the first position by teams.
