David Puente finishes sixth in La Canonja, where Manuel Sanroma fights the breakaway and Álex García selects the mountain

VI Trofeo 15 d´abril / Copa de España
La Canonja – La Canonja (113 km)

The Cantabrian David Puente, sixth, was the best classified among the riders of the junior team of the Contador Foundation this Saturday in the return of the Spanish Cup of the category. In La Canonja, in Tarragona, the Extremadura rider Pablo Lospitao won the sprint of the small group, about fifteen riders, which led the race to its final stretch. Álex García and Nil Aguilera also rode in this group on behalf of the blue team. Lospitao, winner in Don Benito, strengthens his lead in the Cup.

The return of La Canonja to the roads after two years without taking place, after the COVID-19 pandemic, had again in the chain of climbs to La Teixeta, Porrera and Alforja its decisive enclave. However, a sextet (later a quintet) in which Manuel Sanroma rode led the race to the mountain passes. A phase of the race in which the breakaway had a maximum income of 1’30” while in the group, for the interests of EOLO-KOMETA, there were some falls without special consequences (Lucas Guillermo, km 30), as well as a puncture (Álex García, km 37).

At La Teixeta, the breakaway was reduced to three riders, but their advantage diminished ostensibly. Sanroma took second place at the top of the climb and at the same time, on the descent, a persistent rain shower made its presence felt as the race became even more selective. César Pérez suffered a fall on the descent, fortunately nothing serious. On La Porrera, the shortest of the three climbs, also the most demanding, the breakaway disappeared definitively while eight riders, with Álex García at the front, stood out slightly. On the descent, however, there was a regrouping and after the Coll d’Alforja there were sixteen riders at the front. The group that would play for the victory.