Vicente Hernaiz, ninth in a frenzied Trofeo Ayuntamiento de Zamora resolved in the sprint
39ª Trofeo Ayuntamiento de Zamora
Zamora-Zamora (81,5 km)
After the Vuelta a Zamora, a new edition of the City Council Trophy of the provincial capital gave continuity to the Spanish amateur competitive cycling this Saturday. A test of measured mileage, but with the possibility that the wind did of his own and including some mountainous levels where to break pre-established approaches. Leaks, breaks, numerous, from the beginning to the end. And also a significant drop in the last third. In the end, Alejandro Gómiz arrived at the sprint with victory. Vicente Hernaiz, ninth in the volata, was the first to cross the finish line among the riders of the Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team.
A very lively rhythm, with a first hour completed at 47 km/h on average, and constant alternatives that sought to break the race and yet never achieved significant time gaps. Adventures in a limbo of seconds. After the halfway point of the race, Fernando Tercero from La Mancha, who was facing his first day of competition in this return of the races, became involved in a quintet. On the climb to La Barrosa, Arturo Grávalos from La Rioja launched one of his challenges and ended up building a small group of eight riders around his attempt. Mario Vilches, also very attentive in the first positions, even crowned third La Barrosa in this carousel of continuous attacks and counterattacks. But the dynamic was voracious with any adventure. The final average speed, 44.6 km / h.
“The wind was blowing sideways and going very fast. There was some broken terrain with a few miles or so to go that suited me and I didn’t hesitate to try it out. But behind them they have always worked very fast”, says Arturo Grávalos. “We tried to make the race beautiful, especially in the climb phase, but the whole day the race was superlative, with a lot of control. It was a day for the sprint and there was a lot of interest behind it. I’m happy because we’ve done well and Vicente is not as pure a sprinter as the riders who were there in front”, assesses Rafa Díaz Justo, director of the U23.
The week of cycling in Zamora that has hosted this long awaited competitive return will conclude this Sunday with one of the great races of the Spanish amateur calendar. The Trofeo San José, formerly known as Iberdrola, will be disputed over 155 kilometers that in its last half hundred concentrates four climbs that will be essential. In addition to its hardness, it is necessary to add the accumulated wear of the previous days and the very high speed of a frenetic day like Saturday’s. The Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team will participate with the same six runners that competed in the Trofeo Ayuntamiento de Zamora.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
