A extremely rainy Valenciaga with Ramon Fernandez in the top ten
A rival in the races, but a friend outside them, former member of an U23 structure of the Contador Foundation of which he was part last year, Zamora Enamora rider David Domínguez conquered this Sunday an extremely tough edition of the prestigious Memorial Valenciaga, played entirely in the rain, in which Ramón Fernández finished a nice eighth place for the team led by Rafa Díaz Justo. Antonio González, fourteenth, and Arnau Gilabert, twenty-first in the city ‘armera’.
This edition did not start well for the Madrid team with the absence of Haimar Etxeberria on the previous day, weighed down by physical problems, and with the participation of a sick Sebastiano Minoia who had to drop practically from the start. Raúl López was involved in a couple of crashes, which would have a negative effect on his chances, and the young Álex García also went down. A full battle report.
Ramón Fernández: “Like all the editions of the Valenciaga, it’s a race that goes very fast. On this occasion, you could say that the downhill sections were much more of a selection than the uphill sections. The downhill sections were very tricky. In Arrate I felt good, although it’s not a climb that exactly suits my characteristics. And in San Miguel I felt much better and I tried to impose a stronger rhythm in the initial part. On the descent I tensed up a bit, but nobody stayed in the group that had joined us and in the end we played everything in the sprint, where I was well placed, but I didn’t manage the cobblestone road well. Maybe I could have improved the final place, but an eighth position in a race like this one is certainly worth it”.
Rafa Díaz Justo: “The Valenciaga is a race that is usually quite self-controlled beyond the breakaways that occur. It has been a really complicated edition in terms of weather conditions where a fairly large breakaway has been practically at the front until Arrate. There was a very violent climb there, and very few riders remained at the front, including Ramón who rode very well all day. Between Ixua and San Miguel there was a selection that played for the victory, I’m very happy for David. Ramon has done a great race. Arnau and Antonio were also very close. Of course, despite all the adversities, this was not our worst Valenciaga”.
