Fourth place for Fernando Tercero and seventh for Davide Piganzoli on the demanding Irrisarri Land final climb

48º  Bidasoa Itzulia
Stage 1:  Irún – Irrisarri Land (104,2 km)

The Bidasoa Itzulia completed its return to the roads with a finish in the short but tough ascent to the facilities of the Irrisarri Land Adventure Park in which Alejandro Franco (Gomur) won and in which Fernando Tercero crossed the finish line in fourth place, 12 seconds behind the winner.

A short first stage, less than 105 kilometres, which the participating peloton managed at a high speed. In the first stage, there was a succession of breakaway attempts without any of them gaining a lead of more than 30 seconds and, above all, without any of them consolidating for many kilometres.

In this context, the priority was to save the integrity, to be extremely cautious and to pay attention to any movement that could dynamite this dynamic. The final kilometre and a half at 9%, such are the numbers in Irrisarri Land, generated a lot of interest in a large group that, nevertheless, arrived at its base in splits.

The best climbers would end up standing out in its ramps: Franco, Pablo Castrillo (Lizarte), Abel Balderstone (Caja Rural) and from the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team Fernando Tercero and Davide Piganzoli, among others. In the end Piga would sign the seventh place and fifteenth finished Arnau Gilabert. A first day of good balance with the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team being the second best team of the day.

For this Friday, 117 kilometres between Hendaye and Hondarribia with two great orographic difficulties in the route: Ziga, which is crowned in the kilometre 41, and especially the Monte Jaizkibel, a longer and more constant ascent (8 km at 5%) with its summit at 10 kilometres of the arrival.

[📷 Mertxe Labrador]