Two very hilly days and an urban circuit await Kometa in his debut in a Vuelta a Madrid
32ª Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid
From 10 to 12 May 2019
The Kometa Cycling Team faces the Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid this weekend. The continental structure of the Alberto Contador Foundation could not participate in this race during its first year of existence due to its presence in the Tour of Brittany, the proximity between the races and the logistical demands of both. For this reason the Vuelta a Madrid had become one of the fundamental competitions of its calendar in 2019, since the link between the formation and the Community of Seven Stars is intense. With permission of the undeniable weight of the Italian component, it is a race that supposes to run at home.
The team led by Jesus Hernandez will have in its ranks one of Madrid’s current squad: Diego Pablo Sevilla. The cyclist from San Martín de la Vega will be accompanied on the Madrid routes by the Manchegoes Juan Camacho, Isaac Cantón, the Andalusian José Antonio García and the Italians Michele Gazzoli, Antonio Puppio and Samuele Rubino. A very young team, with warrior spirit and with the advantage of the speed of a Gazzo that comes from signing his best performance of the season with his third place in the Etoile d´Or of the Nations Cup.
The crash of Michel Ries in the descent of the Santuario del Acebo, during the last Vuelta a Asturias, has slightly disrupted the planning of the Kometa Cycling Team for the Madrid round, since the Luxembourger was one of the seven cyclists designated to take part in the race, but his fractures in the scapula and humerus rights will keep him away from the competition for a season yet to be determined. “I’m still disappointed to miss an important part of my season. But the fall was quite hard and I was lucky enough to only come out with a few small fractures,” said the Grand Ducal rider.
The race in Madrid will take place in three stages in line, without a high mountain in the race or a summit finish. The first two stages are not without hardness, with many steep slopes of different size and the possibility, especially on the opening day, of the wind coming into action. A Central System ‘away’ from its highest and classic mountains stars the second. Sunday’s stage takes place in a circuit in the Paseo de la Castellana very favourable for a resolution to sprint.
“I really like the area of Campo Real and Nuevo Baztán, I usually go there from time to time during my training sessions”, says Diego Pablo Sevilla, who knows the routes of the first two days. A first stage with up to seven points for the mountain Grand Prix. “It’s good, very good. It could even be even harder, although for that it would be necessary to make small loops in some areas to remove flat terrain and put more unevenness. However, it will be a very bad stage where, if it blows, the wind can have importance”.
Saturday’s journey with start and finish in San Martín de Valdeiglesias will present up to six points, with five in the first 75 kilometres, where you can travel through the province of Ávila, and some not scoring in the final part of a fraction that will have its finish line in a small steep slope. “In the middle of the stage there is an area in which several chain climbs are concentrated, perhaps a little far from the finish line. But it will be a tough stage. I’m also lucky to know a great part of the stage because I go around the area a lot”, concludes Diego Pablo.
The stages.
10 May: Aranjuez-Aranjuez (164.1 km).
11 May: San Martín de Valdeiglesias-San Martín de Valdeiglesias (164.5 km).
12 May: Madrid/ Paseo de la Castellana circuit (99.9 km).
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
