Alejandro Ropero is crowned in Irrisarri Land to lead the Bidasoa Itzulia
47th Vuelta al Bidasoa
Stage 1: Irún-Irrisarri Land (104.2 km)
Alejandro Ropero, from Granada, premiered this Wednesday his list of wins and also the list of the Kometa Cycling Team sub23 of the current season when he won the first stage of the Vuelta al Bidasoa, with a finish in the facilities of the Irrisari Land adventure park. The Andalusian cyclist, first leader of the race, cemented his victory in a powerful attack of the demanding final hill, an acceleration that allowed him to reach the finish line with six seconds of overtaking on his most direct pursuers, including his teammate Alessandro Fancellu.
The triumph of Ropero, the fourth place of Fancellu and the fifth of the Catalan Álex Martín pushed the formation of the Alberto Contador Foundation until the first provisional place of the general team. A great start in one of the most prestigious events of the calendar that gives continuity to the great work deployed in the recently finished Copa de España, in whose general Otura finished second, and greens the successes of the last edition, when the Andalusian Juan Pedro López won in the first stage and laid the foundations for his final victory. Ropero also leads the generals of regularity and the mountain after this stage.
In the always disputed Bidasoa Itzulia a lot of fight was foreseen and the prognosis was fulfilled. Already in the first hour of competition, the average speed was around 45 km/h. Numerous attempts of escape starred this first day, although all with few differences. In a movement of seven cyclists that reached a minute and a half of margin Joan Martin Bennassar was included. In a later one of identical number of members, once the previous one was hunted, they managed to enjoy more than a minute and a half of advantage. The breakers, however, would go down in history already in the steep final ramps, always decisive and in whose approach again took place a couple of falls. Both Alessandro Fancellu and Álex Martín moved from the pack, before the harder ramps, in the first ascending part.
“Already in the last kilometre Álex Martín was in front with two other riders and I have seen that they started to release him. At that moment I said to myself that I had to do something, because they could leave and take the victory. I started and I passed them. This victory gives us an enormous joy because until now we had had a lot of regularity, but had missed that shot, “says Ropero himself.
“The team was sensational. At first Jonny (Joan Martí Bennassar) left no movement without scoring. In the last kilometers the approach work has been very good. And fortunately we have been able to save the falls. In that area there are always crashes. I myself went to the ground there last year. But this year we were able to save them and get very well placed. We had Juan Pedro’s referent last year and so far we have relieved him. Now it’s time to go day by day. Here there is a lot of level and the route is very demanding. Let’s hope that this victory was the first of many. For now it’s time to shave Carlos Barredo’s hair, who this morning at the start bet if any of us won today”.
This Thursday the second stage will take place: 128.8 kilometres starting and finishing in Hondarribia in which the pack will have to face the climb up to Jaizkibel eleven kilometres from the finish in Harresilanda Kalea in the town of Gipuzkoa.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
