Aiztondo: good work, high demands but little reward at the finish line
XVII Aiztondo Klasikoa / Patxi Alkorta Memoriala
Asteasu – Zizurkil (146 km)
The U23 Elite Spanish Cup kicked off this Sunday in Gipuzkoa with an exciting edition of the Aiztondo Klasikoa, demanding due to the weather and even more demanding due to a tough course with several climbs before the final circuit and a new climb within it. A classic with capital letters that for many is one of the most demanding races on the calendar. Three riders of the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team finished in the top-25, Vicente Hernaiz (20th), Fernando Tercero (21st), Álex Martín (23rd), positions that do not reflect the good work done on the road. The victory went to Catalan Marc Brustenga (Caja Rural), an old acquaintance of the Foundation’s sports structures after his time with the junior team in 2016 and 2017 who has started this 2021 in great form.
A breakaway of eight riders opened the race for many kilometres and it was the Balearic rider Miquel Valls who stood out on the climb to Alkiza. The Mallorcan rider had a lead that reached more than three minutes over a peloton that was being selected kilometre by kilometre and at the front of which the strongest formations were working periodically. Without Edu Pérez-Landaluce, back due to a breakdown, or Mario Vilches, involved in a fall, the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team worked with Fernando Tercero, Álvaro García and David Martin. An untimely puncture of Tercero and a fall of Álvaro in the last 25 kilometres conditioned a lot this work.
Valls was always in the lead, with a minute and a half margin, and behind him a group of seven riders formed, including Vicente Hernaiz and three Caja Rural riders. The Navarrese team played their superiority well. “We did a good performance, but the result leaves us with a mixed feeling because it doesn’t match the way we raced throughout the day,” said director Rafa Díaz Justo.
“This edition of Aiztondo was a very demanding race due to the combination of the toughness of the course and the weather. We were not very lucky with the crashes of Álvaro and Mario or with my puncture, but we have to be optimistic and think that there will be days when everything will be better. In the end, the work we are doing will surely come to light”, explains Fernando Tercero.
Vicente Hernaiz: “We saw that the breakaway was taking a long time, so my team-mates David and Fernando set to work to reduce the time and prepare an attack in Aduna. There we were a group of 5-6 riders with three riders from Caja, Pablo Alonso and myself. They left me all the toast. And with seven kilometres to go, on the cement ramp, I was left out of that group. Up to that point I had a good feeling, but then I suddenly collapsed. I was in no man’s land and with one kilometre to go I was caught by a group, losing a lot of positions”.
[📷 Unai de Miguel]
