MADRID, 7 One. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Galician team has been proclaimed this Friday the winner of the Spanish Cyclocross Championship in the ‘Team Relay’ test in Xátiva, which is taking place on the circuit installed in the “Les Pereres” Municipal Sports Center.
The Galician team took the gold medal after a beautiful duel in the final round with the Asturias team. The elite Samuel González was in charge of carrying out the first post for Galicia and establishing his team in front, while Catalonia was placed in second position a few seconds away and Asturias, the Basque Country, afterwards.
The Valencian Community, in the third round, took over the test, but without opening a relevant advantage over the rest of the teams. The departure of Lucía González in the fifth relay placed Asturias as the leader, leaving Galicia third, behind the hosts.
A good relay from Ricardo Martín allowed the Galicians to start the final turn in second place, just five seconds behind Asturias. The under-23 Miguel Rodríguez, who was already champion of Spain in the specialty as a junior, set out to hunt Mario Junquera, who was the reliever chosen by Asturias for the final post and both starred in a beautiful hand-in-hand for the medal of gold.
Rodríguez got off to a strong start and ended up giving the Galician team gold at the finish line. Asturias finished in second position at five seconds, while the bronze belonged to the Basque Country, which finished at 27 seconds.
“The strategy consisted of leaving with great speed, slowing down a little in the intermediate posts and finishing in the last relay with our strongest man, who is Miguel, to try to get the gold,” says Samuel González from Galicia in statements provided by the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC).
“Tomas Pombo, Ricardo Martín, Irene Trabajo and Andrés Calvete did some very good laps and that together with the work done by Miguel Rodríguez and me, has made us win a victory that leaves us with a very good taste,” added Samuel.
Miguel Rodríguez, for his part, said that “Junquera started the last lap very quickly.” “But I was able to stick to his wheel and when I saw the opportunity I attacked from afar and managed to open a few meters that gave us the victory. We want to dedicate this victory to Guillermo Sande, who was with us in the two previous editions in which we won and we believe that this gold is the best way to honor his memory, “he said.