New beginning, brand-new race: tomorrow the legs-breaking Gran Premio Castellón – Ruta de la Cerámica
The inaugural weekend of the 2024 season, begun today with the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana, concludes tomorrow with the Gran Premio Castellón: we are still in the Valencia region but to the north of the capital. This race is an absolute novelty; it is, in fact, the first edition: in accordance with the artisanal tradition of this region, it takes the second name of Ruta de la Cerámica.
Among the 19 teams that will christen this GP Castellón on the Ruta de la Ceramica, including 7 WorldTeams such as UAE, there will also be a Polti Kometa eager to immediately showcase the new jersey and the new team within the group. There’s the important new signing Jhonatan Restrepo, ready to fly to Colombia after this race for the national championships. With him, other climbing men such as Alex Martín, the experienced Andrea Garosio, and the young Davides: De Cassan and Piganzoli. Also present are Javier Serrano and the symbolic rider Diego Sevilla.
An ideal roster for an interesting altimetric profile. In the total distance of 174 kilometers starting from Castellón de la Plana, as soon as the race begins the climb to Alto de la Coma (2 km at 8%) starts, which is a prelude to Alto Sierra Engarcerán at km 50 (5 km at 5%); before and after, continuous ups and downs in an area that, being so close to the sea, already presents beautiful elevations. Heading south to Collado de Ayódar (very similar to Sierra Engarcerán) with its summit 11 km from the finish in Onda. The finish line, slightly uphill to provide excitement until the end, in the true spirit of the race is placed in front of a museum of majolica, ceramics and terracotta.
In the photos above, J.Hernandez-Restrepo-Serrano
In the Polti Kometa car, former Alberto Contador’s loyal teammate (and longtime Fundación teams’ sport director) Jesús Hernández. “On paper Castellón Grand Prix is a race for Restrepo, who climbs very well and has the right kick to finish – explains Jesus -: the team will work for him, but we will have to be very attentive to the development of the situation to eventually activate a plan B. Collado de Ayódar is not very demanding, and many riders will try to make a move: we must be careful and stay in the thick of the action.”
One of the valuable domestiques will be the 2001-born Serrano, who embodies the Italian-Spanish soul of Polti Kometa: in 2021, he rode for an Italian amateur team, Biesse Arvedi, and finished 9th in both the Spanish Under-23 road and time trial championships. In 2022, he joined the then Eolo Kometa, which promoted him to the ProTeam after a year in U23: “The Castellón Grand Prix marks the beginning of my second year as a professional, the third with the Fundacion Contador – says Javier – and I’m happy to start with a race that suits my characteristics. The level is high, but we have prepared very well and we want to start the season in the best possible way!”
