Italy’s Alessio Acco opens the Kometa-Xstra U23 record in the first race of the season

I Julio López ‘Chineta’ Memorial
Burguillos de Toledo – Burguillos de Toledo, 118 km

First competitive commitment of the year, first success for the Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team U23. The Italian Alessio Acco won in the first edition of the Memorial Julio López, Chineta, celebrated this Saturday over 118 kilometers with start and finish in the town of Burguillos de Toledo, a race in which his teammate Vicente Hernaiz completed the podium finishing in third position. Acco, in his first success as a rider of the Foundation, beat Fernando Navas (Extremadura – Bicicletas Rodríguez), with whom he had reached the last kilometers after a series of attacks on the slope of Argés, about twenty kilometers from the end.

Acco’s success came to acknowledge the great work of the Kometa-Xstra during the test. Rafa Díaz Justo’s team, who came with the desire to be the protagonist, managed to include three cyclists in the ten-member breakaway that would eventually be definitive for the resolution of the race. A flight of ten riders that was formed within the first twenty-five kilometers of the race. Eduard Rodés, Vicente Hernaiz and Alessio Acco were the representatives. Rodés, together with Francisco Javier Agea (Gomur) and Norbert Wiktor Nowik (Escribano) had formed the trio on which the ten riders were based at kilometer 8.

With a time cushion that soon left after two minutes and without any formation taking the reins of a possible hunt, the escape was devouring kilometers while the meteorology was also noticeable with the appearance of a light rain and with the presence of some wind blowing from the side. In spite of the climatic ingredients, the ten men in the vanguard were shooting 40 kilometers from the end with more than two and a half minutes. In the vicinity of Argés there were movements in the head of the race and from them came out reinforced Acco and Navas, who would finally play for victory. At 20 seconds from the couple who played the victory came the Pucelan Hernaiz, while Edu Rodés finished eighth, a minute and a half from the winner. With more than two minutes to go, leading the main peloton and signing the tenth position in the race, the Asturian Yago Segovia crossed the finish line. Eleventh, first Castilian-La Mancha rider, concluded Fernando Tercero.

Alessio Acco, winner of the Chineta Memorial: “First Rodés attacked, then it was my turn and in the end Vicente arrived; by the 25th kilometre or so, the ten of us were already in front, and we were also riding quite well. We all negotiated the hardest sections of the route together and when we were 30 kilometres from the finish line, a little less, we started to try it out. In the end I was left alone, but the cyclist from Extremadura caught me and we collaborated. Vicente was coming from behind, at that moment I couldn’t pull any more and I just focused on the sprint. I´m very happy”.

Rafa Díaz Justo, director of the Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team u23: “To start winning is always important for any project, although we have to have clear that in this race there were a lot of riders with a lot of level. The race has been marked by an initial leak in which they have understood very well, while behind there was no gas to break it down. With the break very consolidated, we started to play and launch attacks from afar. Acco looked very strong. Vicente also came at a good time and is very fast. Finally Acco left with an ‘Extremadura’, but on one of the last climbs I asked Vicente to attack; that move helped us strategically so that Acco, in front, couldn’t shoot before the arrival of a teammate”.

(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)