The U23 squad closes its 2019 season in a Volta a Galicia marked by the final climb to Monte San Roque
XVIII Volta Ciclista a Galicia
From 18 to 21 September
“For the Galician teams and cyclists this race is a Tour de France, a fundamental objective. As it is an elite race in this race, older, very experienced cyclists take part; based on the above, it is necessary to be fully aware of the great difficulty of controlling or having a decisive weight in the race”. Rafa Díaz Justo, director of the Kometa Cycling Team sub23 speaks about the imminent Volta Ciclista to Galicia. The Galician round, the last competition of the season for the team, emerges as a complex and difficult objective, since these heights of the season are already being noticed in the states of form and several are the structures with capital interests in this competition.
The U23 team of the Alberto Contador Foundation comes with a very balanced team, with good riders, with complete riders and with cyclists who defend very well in the ascents. The general tone of the whole group has been very high during these months of races and in the recent Volta a Valencia five of its cyclists ended up in the top-25; it is easy that the same can happen in Galicia. The Balearic Joan Martí Bennasar, the Catalan Álex Martín, the Italian Alessandro Fancellu, the Andalusians Sergio García and Alejandro Ropero and the Asturians Eduaro Pérez-Landaluce and Yago Segovia make up the last lineup of this 2019.
… And opposite, the sinuous complexity of some Galician routes that on this occasion are going to be topped by a high end of great demand. The start will be celebrated again under the formula of the time trial for teams in the evening. The next two stages will not lack the orographic difficulties in which a lot of damage can be done. The last day, to decide a lot of things for sure, awaits Monte San Roque in the town of Viveiro. This ascent, which leads to a hermitage and also to an excellent viewpoint over this beautiful city of the Mariña Lucense, is not very long, but it does have steep slopes.
“Yes, it’s an interesting port, short but very hard”, adds Díaz Justo. “The Volta starts with a time trial that won’t leave many differences and will keep the race alive every day. We arrived well. The competition is going to be a lot and especially difficult, because there are several teams with many interests in Galicia. For our part we are going to try to give war and play with the strategy before that final stage so hard.
The ascent to San Roque has already received the race on some occasions, as it happened in 2004 or 2007, and it was also at some point the goal in the disappeared Vuelta a Galicia for professionals on whose ashes this lap grew over four stages for elites and u23; in 1998, for example, a world champion like Abraham Olano won here. Today it also hosts an appointment for the junior category, the San Roque Grand Prix, promoted by the Viveiro Cycling Club. It is less than four kilometres long with an average slope of 9% and maximum ramps of 20%.
“We face this final stretch of the season with more desire than ever. And even more so with the intention of removing the thorn from the Volta a Valencia. In Valencia I was very angry with the final result of the queen stage, because I had good legs to be in front, but I had to start from a distance, with courage, to make the race harder and have options for the general classification. But five kilometres later I was caught”, commented Sergio García from Cadiz. “I look very good right now and I want to do very well here”.
The stages:
18th September: Baiona-Baiona (8,3 km TTT).
19 September: Baiona-Baiona (137 km).
20 September: Teixeiro – Curtis (151 km).
21 September: Viveiro – Monte San Roque/Viveiro (130.5 km).
