Oscar Orts and Hugo Pradas close to the victory on Corpa
After a weekend without competition for the junior team, the ambition was high for a race at home, in Madrid. The incentive of the regional championship made the riders very eager to compete. In the end, Oscar Orts and Hugo Pradas finished second and third, just close to the victory, with Hugo earning the champion’s jersey.
The race began with the usual attacks in search of a breakaway that did not manage to form until after kilometre 20. In the first breakaway of the day Ivan Loaisa rode together with a cyclist from the Baqué team, always with less than a minute’s advantage over the main group. Another rider from the Basque team attacked and joined the leading duo. The totally inconvenient situation led to a high pace in the bunch imposed by the team. In the hardest part of the race, the break was neutralised and a new group was formed.
A new group of 5 riders led the race with Oscar Orts and Hugo Pradas representing the team. Pradas’s various attempts to break the harmony of the group had no effect and another of the riders at the head of the race opened up a very slight advantage that helped him to win the race. Oscar Orts finished second and Hugo Pradas third. The team also won the team victory, the king of the mountain prize with Oscar and the Madrid Championship with Pradas.
Isaac Cantón explained what happened at the end of the race: “I take part of the blame for the final outcome because I am the one who makes the decisions in the race. They won the teams classification, the king of the mountain prize, everything, except the most important thing, which was the race. We didn’t finish it off”.
“It was a hard and fast race. The team worked very well and when there was one kilometre to go to the top of the Alto de los Cochinos, Hugo and I took the lead”, explained Oscar Orts. “We went in relays and, being the majority on the group, we were constantly attacking. The sensations are very good before the very important races to come, although we left with the feeling that we could have won”, he added.
Hugo Pradas, protagonist of the day: “I am very happy. This result would not have been possible without the work of my teammates, the victory in the championship belongs to all of us. It was a crazy start and in the last few metres of the Alto de los Cochinos I felt strong and we formed the breakaway. I was fighting until the end and I am very happy and grateful”.
