Marcel Camprubí, third at the finish, and Fran Muñoz, in the leading group of an intense day in the Sierra Norte

34º Vuelta a Madrid sub23
Stage 2: Buitrago del Lozoya – Buitrago del Lozoya (102,6 km)

Marcel Camprubí, third in the cobbled and ascending finish of Buitrago de Lozoya, and Fran Muñoz, ninth, were the first EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team U23 riders in a short, but very demanding, second stage of the Vuelta a Madrid in which Abel Balderstone (Caja Rural) repeated partial victory, and therefore reinforced his leadership.

A short stage through the Sierra Norte, barely a hundred kilometres, but fast-paced because the specific orography of this area allows and encourages it, without a metre of flat and in many occasions with hardly any shade. La Puebla, La Hiruela and Collado Campadales were the three orographic difficulties of a day in which several more were faced, such as La Fragüela or El Cardoso, which did not score points.

It was on the Campadales where the leader Balderstone managed to open up a small lead over José Marín (Telco’m) and Marcel Camprubí. In the chasing group, growing in number of members, both Muñoz and Camprubí tried to stimulate the group work and reduce the differences, at the finish line of 54 seconds.

Up to Campadales, even on the last climb proposed by the organisers, Balderstone made several movements, to which Camprubí was always very attentive: “On the last climb we managed to close the gap a couple of times, but then he took off. We paddled José Marín, Héctor Rodas and myself, but we didn’t manage to break the movement and in the end we were caught by a group with Fran and the Spanish champion among others. In the end we worked there, Fran, me and also Alejandro Franco”.

This Friday the Madrid round celebrates its third stage: a circuit through Paracuellos de Jarama, Ajalvir and Cobeña that the peloton will ride six times. Abel Balderstone starts with the leader’s red starred jersey. Fran Muñoz remains fourth, 1’04” behind, and Marcel Camprubí is fifth, 1’07” behind. Pablo Uría, who withdrew during the second stage, will not be taking part. Pablo comes from a long cycle without competition that started after the Gran Premio Primavera de Ontur.