Since Spanish cycling lives so depressed, still with a handful of riders capable of achieving good positions but with few or none capable of finishing the task in big events, a victory like Alex Aranburu's in Sestao takes on an extraordinary milestone. .

And although those who least follow the day-to-day cycling may be surprised, in reality his triumph is not a strange phenomenon, but a natural evolution of the Gipuzkoan runner, an award that had to arrive sooner or later, because he had been demonstrating for several years, and

especially at the beginning of the season

, he was prepared for something like that.

He is still 25 years old, has a significant room for improvement and runs for a team,

Astana

, whose racing philosophy fits perfectly with his characteristics.

Those of an intelligent cyclist, with a nose for selecting good opportunities, a notable finisher who suffers in long passes but who shines on short ramps and rough terrain like those that Itzulia usually offers.

No, he will never fight for the podium of the Tour or the Vuelta, but he will give many joys to Spanish cycling.

This Tuesday, to begin with, has given him the first victory in the World Tour category of the year, the second in professionals after Alejandro Valverde on Saturday at the Indurain Grand Prix.

His good form was proven by his sixth place at the Het Nieuwsblad Circuit and

seventh at the Milan-San Remo

, a result he also achieved last season.

He only needed to finish in a great event, after adding his first three victories as a professional in Burgos, Getxo and Madrid between 2018 and 2019. And that day has arrived in the second stage of Itzulia, a day of continuous ups and downs, without respite, in which Roglic, controller with nerves of steel, kept the yellow jersey, now with a five-second margin over Aranburu.

Might of Roglic

The 155-kilometer route through the Encartaciones region and the Left Bank of the Bilbao estuary exploded in the last and most demanding ascent, La Asturiana (7.7 kilometers at 6.2%), crowned 15 kilometers from the finish line. in Sestao.

On a winding track dampened by the rain that fell on Vizcaya during the morning, skirmishes followed one another.

The first blow was wanted by Pogacar

, who, accompanied by Gaudu, tried to break the race.

Roglic, in the distance, watched and controlled, while he gave work to Bahrain de Landa and Bilbao and Astana, who played with four cards: Aranburu, Fraile, Ion Izagirre and Fuglsang.

A rush from Woods regrouped the favorites until

Schachmann

again proposed war.

The German, recent winner of the Paris-Nice, was the only one who seemed to worry the leader, who stuck to his wheel, as did McNulty and Higuita.

It had to be Bilbao who put tension in the descent so that the quartet did not take an excessive income.

Finally, they were hunted and it was at that moment that the nose told Aranburu that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for so long.

At 10 from the finish line, still on the descent from La Asturiana, the Gipuzkoan attacked and from behind no one assumed the responsibility of hunting him down.

Schachmann's Bora and Higuita's Education First tried, but without the necessary continuity.

Roglic had a gregarious one left, but he told

Vingegaard

not to worry, to save his strength for a better occasion.

Pogacar did not seek war either, while Aranburu made his way alone.

In the final kilometer, a demanding slope towards the historic center of Sestao, Aranburu clenched his teeth to squeeze the little strength he had left.

Nothing was going to prevent his victory, with his teammate

Omar Fraile

putting the finishing touch by winning the 'sprint' of the group.

"This victory is worth a lot, the first of this year [also for Astana] and at home everything is special," said the winner later, surely the most gifted Spanish cyclist today for partial victories.

This Tuesday Sestao is the first of the highest level, but it will certainly not be the last.

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Know more

  • Bilbao

  • Biscay

  • Madrid

  • sports

  • cycling

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