Marcel Camprubí resists on the Salcedo`s climb, tests it towards the finish line and takes sixth place in the provisional Cantabrian overall

Vuelta Ciclista a Cantabria
Stage 2: Vioño – Vioño (135 km)

Barcelona’s Marcel Camprubí made a leap forward in the overall standings this Friday at the Vuelta a Cantabria. The EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team U23 rider remained very attentive in the ambush of the climb to the cemetery of Salcedo, short but with double digits in its slopes and with its summit two kilometres from the end, tried to distance himself alone in the final part of its descent and finally arrived between the six riders who gained a slight advantage to play a partial victory that went to Benjamín Prades. The Catalan rider, who won here a year ago, took the lead ahead of the final stage, the queen of the day.

After a very fast start to the race, the gestation of a large breakaway (with Edoardo Alleva again in the breakaway) and its neutralisation at kilometre 65, and a lot of control by Catalunya-Barcelona’s until today’s leader Ilia Shchegolkov of the subsequent breakaway attempts, the race ended up grouping together for the decisive stage. With 14 kilometres to go, with a final climb to La Montaña and the 13% of the Salcedo ‘strappo’ ahead, a group was leading the race. On the descent of La Montaña, Yago Segovia took the lead and was caught at the start of the decisive climb.

There, in the cemetery of Salcedo, there were several movements, including a response in first person by Andrea Montoli, but Marcel Camprubí, with David Domínguez further back, resisted the accelerations well and managed to get out of the wall among the six leading riders. Camprubí himself looked for a surprise inside the last kilometre, while giving new impetus to an interesting movement, with several fast riders, with the possibility of more riders coming from behind.

This Saturday the Vuelta a Cantabria will conclude its queen stage. There will be 148.4 kilometres with an interesting and tough chain of mountains, with El Caracol (eight kilometres of ascent, five finishes above 7% and a dozen kilometres before that, although with an ambush at the height of Ajanedo) and La Braguía (8 km at 6%) before an uphill finish around the Cuevas de Monte Castillo in Puente Viesgo. The first six riders in the general classification are equal on time and several other riders are only two seconds behind. A very open race, with many riders having their chances.