A hard week: triple front for the riders of the Kometa Cycling Team junior at l´Ain, Spanish Cup and European track
From 9 to 14 July: European Junior Track
From 11 to 14 July: Valromey Tour / Tour de l´Ain
14 July: Copa de España Ayuntamiento
The youth team of the Alberto Contador Foundation faces the most busy week of its calendar due to the diversity of commitments that distribute their riders in up to three different events, inside and outside Spain, including calls from the Spanish national team.
The first of them starts this Tuesday, 9, and involves both Raúl García and Javi Serrano. The two Madrid riders of the Kometa Cycling Team are among the thirteen young riders called by Raúl Mena for the European junior and sub23 track, which will be held at the velodrome Vlaams Wielercentrum Eddy Merckx de Ghent (Belgium).
Both Serrano and García will be part of the quartet competing in Team Pursuit. As an individual, Serrano will compete in Omnium, García will compete in Individual Pursuit and Scratch. Given his call for Sunday’s Spanish Cup, where García is the leader and Serrano the fourth classified, his return to Spain will take place at the end of the week.
The second of the appointments to begin will be the International Rhone Alpes Valromey Tour, the l´Ain Tour of the category, which will take place between 11 and 14 July. Gerard Bofill, Pablo Gutiérrez, Alejandro Luna, José Luis Medina and Fernando Tercero are the five riders selected for a race in which the formation will defend the dorsal 1 won a year ago by the current rider of the Álex Martin sub23 team.
A commitment of great hardness and very high competition. Up to 37 teams from France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, South Africa and New Zealand will take part in this prestigious event that in 2019 will present as a great novelty the dispute of a time trial on Saturday. The queen stage will take place again on Sunday, with a final in Hauteville Lompnès and passing through Col de Richemont, Col de Cuvillat, Col de la Rochette and Col de la Vieille Lèbe. Four first categories.
On Sunday, 79.9 kilometres starting and finishing in San Sebastian de los Reyes. Pedro Beneit, Francesc Bennassar, David Quevedo, Raúl García, Carlos Rodríguez, Juan José Rosal and Javier Serrano will compete in the penultimate race of the Spanish Cup, in which the orographic hardness will come from the double ascent to Paracuellos del Jarama and the steep slopes of the Ajalvir and Cobeña area. Raúl García arrives as leader of the Cup, with 177 points, 44 more than his teammate Carlos Rodríguez. Fernando Tercero, with 111, occupies a third provisional position that could be lost due to his participation in l´Ain. Javi Serrano, 72 points behind García, is in fourth position.
Guillermo Gutiérrez, director of the Kometa Cycling Team: “The coincidence in the dates of the Spanish Cup and the l´Ain Tour makes this week one of the most important of the year for our structure at all levels, starting with logistics and following by the staff. All the riders are going to be busy these days, with competitions, and that’s what’s best for them in the end. In addition, they are two very important competitions, of a very high level. In France we race against many of the continent’s great structures and we defend the title. In San Sebastian de los Reyes we started with the leadership and the first four positions in the general standings of a Cup where so far we have done very well and we have been able to achieve victory in each and every one of the races, with a different cyclist each time. In San Sebastian we don’t want to give up. In addition, these days have the incentive of the call of Javi and Raul to compete with Spain in the European track. A call of the selection is always a reason for satisfaction for the team. And quite an experience for the boys”.
The stages of the Tour of l´Ain.
11 July: Serrieres de Briord – Blyes (119 km).
12th July: Nantua – Belley (117.3 km).
13th July: Massignieu de Rives – Massignieu de Rives (9.9 km CRI).
14 July: Artemare – Hauteville Lompnès (106, 5 km).
