Polartec-Kometa junior double at Bostronizo
XXXII Vuelta al Besaya
Stage 2: Villacarriedo-Bostronizo (76.1 km)
The Spaniard Carlos Rodríguez won the second stage of the Vuelta al Besaya alone, with a final in Bostronizo, and rose to second place in a general classification in which, for six seconds, the Catalan David Domínguez (Tot Net-Terrassa Ciclisme) remains at the front. Barcelona’s Álex Martín rounded off a great day at the Polartec-Kometa by finishing second, eight seconds behind his team-mate.
The second stage was once again very busy and with a lot of protagonism from the Madrid formation, always attentive to all the movements at the head of the race. Martín would crown Alto de San Martín in first place and cross Alto de Hijas in second place, cementing his ascent to the top of the provisional mountain general classification.
Midway through the stage, at the level of Los Corrales de Buelna, an escape began to take shape in which Javi Serrano from Madrid, who was fundamental in its genesis, managed to get into it. A breakaway that ended up being made up of seven units and managed to roll with a 1:50 margin when there were ten left for the end. But the differences decreased substantially by a small margin.
In the final climb, four kilometres at 6.5% and ramps of 12%, Álex Martín started from the group of favourites, reaching the head of the race and leaving alone. A devastating demarraje in the first few bars that only the Portuguese Joao Carbalho (Arte en Transfer), who was on the run, could temporarily endure. Carlos Rodriguez, who in turn demarró midway through the ascent in an assault on the general classification, ended up catching up with his team-mate within the last kilometer.
Álex Martín: “I looked very good even from the first port, where I started to take points off the first one in front of the mountain general classification, because Ivan started the day well. That’s where I saw he was doing well on his legs. And in the second one I did the same thing. The strategy was to start from the bottom, we were going to do damage, so we would cause wear and tear and then, depending on how the race went, Carlos would move. That’s how we did it, and Carlos passed me by like lightning. With the advantages that we have cut back today, tomorrow looks very exciting. I believe that the one who gets into or out of the lead will be the one who wins the Vuelta”.
This Saturday, the stage reigns. Santander will be 75.1 kilometres from the Alsa reservoir in Bárcena de Pie de Concha. A third stage hardened by the presence of Castillo Pedroso on the route. The ascent to Alsa, a watery surface at the foot of the iconic Pico Jano, takes place over eight kilometres, really seven because the last one is a false plain. Four are very hard, with average percentages around 9% and ramps up to 11%.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
