So positive Vuelta a Castilla y León for a Kometa Cycling Team very protagonist
34th Vuelta a Castilla y León
Stage 3: León – Villafranca del Bierzo (151.8 km)
With a very complicated finish, in which Enrique Sanz (Murias) prevailed slightly over the leading group, a very positive Vuelta a Castilla y León for the Kometa Cycling Team came to an end this Saturday. The Italian Stefano Oldani finished fifth in this last stage and eleventh in a general that went to the bag of his compatriot Davide Cimolai (Israel Cycling Team). It was a complex and dangerous finish, with a difficult pass over a bridge and several curves within the last kilometres in which there were several falls that the riders of the Kometa were able to avoid.
Between León and Villafranca del Bierzo there was a repetition of the previous days, although with less wind. The most complicated orographically stage once again hosted a block effort by the Movistar Team to dethrone leader Cimolai with a very high pace that would end with the escape of the day, in which the Kometa Cycling Team did not include any of its riders after several attempts, a high pace that ended up breaking the race.
The race was very much selected in the long descent of Foncebadón and in the ascent to Onamio. In the latter, the break was hunted and from it came a reduced platoon of less than fifty units that in the following kilometers, in the last third of the day, remained in about thirty. A phase of the stage in which the circumstance of an error on the part of the organization was lived that increased in twelve kilometers the stage: there was not a step by the line of finish that counted as intermediate sprint, by a detour executed before time, and it was necessary to confront a return to the original route.
Some sixty cyclists played for victory in the town of Bierzo. In such a large group, besides Oldani, Antonio Puppio, Juan Camacho and Daniel Viegas also rode. In the general standings, Camacho finished twentieth classified; twenty-first, Puppio. But the other big news comes in the general team standings, where the Kometa Cycling Team finished in fourth place, only behind the Movistar Team, the Israel Cycling Team and the Euskadi-Murias.
“This last stage wasn’t as complicated by the wind as the previous ones, but it wasn’t easy at all. The descent from the first pass was dangerous and the second climb was very, very strong”, explains Stefano Oldani himself, to whom the expulsion of Romanian Eduard-Michael Grosu for unsportsmanlike behaviour finally gave him an anecdotal fourth place at the Villada finish, the same position in which he finished in the regularity classification. “The final was very technical and dangerous. In the last two corners there was an impressive fall, the four riders who were ahead have fallen to the ground. I was able to dodge them, just a little. I’m leaving very happy”.
His good performance and good performance was a birthday present in advance for Antonio Puppio. The Italian cyclist, who will celebrate his 20th birthday on Monday 28th April and will face his first professional campaign in his second year as an U23 rider, has had a great race. “I am very satisfied with the work I have done these days and very happy with the attitude shown by the team during these three very demanding days”.
Félix García Casas, sports manager of the Kometa Cycling Team: “We are leaving the Vuelta a Castilla y León with a great taste in our mouths. During the three stages the riders have put together a great performance and have worked exceptionally, with very clear ideas and always attentive to all race situations. Stefano, Juan or Antonio have been the spearhead of the collective. That in a race with many teams of higher category a continental formation like ours has given the face is something that, on the one hand, makes us very happy and, on the other hand, reaffirms that we are working well, in a good line. We’re facing an intense cycle of competitions and this performance gives us motivation.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
? @flandiers
