Sergio García and Carlos García overcome with note the great battle of Monte Amiata
42º Giro d´Italia Giovani Under 23
Stage 4: Buonconvento – Monte Amiata (140,2 km)
In Monte Amiata, one of the great giants of Tuscany, came the first high final of the Giro Baby. The first real mountain day. And at the finish line, 1,653 metres above sea level, the Colombian Andrés Camilo Ardila (Colombian National Team) and two cyclists from the Kometa Cycling Team won a brilliant performance, finishing in the top 25. Sergio García (19th, 2:23 from the winner) and Carlos García (25th, 2:42) demonstrated their climbing skills in a fourth stage in which Arturo Grávalos suffered a fall in a descent, although without serious consequences. Ardila is the new leader of the race.
A very hard stage, a constant sawtooth that was finished with a long climb, thirteen kilometers, in another fraction disputed under an intense heat. Faced with the demand, a very strong race. A lot of fight since the initial flag. Pugnas in which Carlos García wanted to get involved. “But I was wrong,” admits the Spaniard. “It was a mistake. I could feel myself well and I got into a rather dangerous escape that was formed. The initial idea was not to do it, but I was convinced that it was a very good leak. However, we were caught from behind. And I spent a lot on the break”.
The cyclist from Tres Cantos, who made a new leap forward in the general classification and consolidates himself as the best classified of the team (27th, at 6:05), would remake himself for the final climb, where he did not hesitate to go out on the wheel of the eventual winner. “I played and went for Ardila, but six kilometers to the end I burst and lost a little rhythm. Today has been a day of learning for me, I saw myself very well and in the end I ended up paying that expense. There’s still a lot of Giro left. And very hard”, says Carlos.
Much more lively, and the first of the riders in Kometa at the finish line, Sergio García finished in the general standings, now 32nd, at 7:14. The Spaniard recovered from the puncture that hit him in the previous stage, when he had finished negotiating the first stretch of sterrato with great success. “It’s been a long time since I felt that desire and ambition to be as far ahead as possible, to want to go further. Today I released all the rage of yesterday. It was a spectacular stage and I think I was able to give the maximum in the final climb”.
Edu Pérez-Landaluce, who would arrive together with Sergio and Carlos in the main bunch that reached the base of Monte Amiata, finished in 47th place, at 9:40; Arturo Grávalos finished 63rd, at 14:17; and Jhon Stiven Ramírez, on a bad day, crossed the finish line in 101st position, more than 26 minutes away. A demanding stage that will be followed on Tuesday by a well-deserved rest day after the great fight of the last five days.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
