Attendance has been limited to 2,000 cyclists
ANDORRA THE OLD (ANDORRA), 12 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Andorra will host the seventh edition of the La Purito Andorra-Gran Premi Andbank cycling tour on August 5 and 6, which will have the Spanish ex-cyclist Alberto Contador as a prominent guest.
The main organizer of the race, Joaquim ‘Purito’ Rodríguez, expressed his satisfaction this Monday during the presentation of the event because there will be participants from “19 countries on 3 continents”, Andbank reports in a statement.
On this occasion, participation has been limited to 2,000 cyclists, although in 2019 it reached 3,000, due to the logistics involved; for example, in the making of the jerseys and to guarantee the safety of all the participants.
After visiting the Santini factory, Rodríguez has guaranteed that registrations will be open “up to 2,000 jerseys”, so he considers that there is room to leave registrations open.
One of the novelties of this year is the selection of the leotard for the march, for which reason during the inscriptions the participants have been asked to vote between two models: a yellow one has been chosen.
ROUTE
The departure is held in Sant Julià de Lòria, with the previous day’s fair in Plaza Germandat, although the bibs will be handed out in the Commune, because the Cultural and Congress Center is inoperable after the fire it suffered.
The arrival will also be at the Cortals d’Encamp, but the after party will be held at the Complex Esportiu i Sociocultural de Encamp, a town that will also host the children’s gymkhana on Saturday.
The ex-cyclist ‘Purito’ Rodríguez has remarked that the event has a “festive character” so that people can enjoy the ports and also so that they finish the march tired but satisfied with having achieved the challenge.
The organizer has highlighted that the work of these years “is placing Andorra on the map as a cycling country”.
For his part, the Minister of Tourism and Commerce, Jordi Torres, explained that the Purito Andorra-Gran Premi Andbank is already “one of the benchmark events” in the world of cycling.
In addition, it has considered that it allows to “improve” the positioning of the Principality as a mountain and sports destination, and favors an increase in hotel occupancy and tourist spending.
Andbank’s Country Banking director, Maria Suárez, has assured that they will again enjoy a “great cycling march” in the country, an event that, according to what she has said, they are very proud to support.