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EFE · Road Competition · 10/21/2020
Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadier) and Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott) are putting the Latin American flavor in the 75th edition of the Vuelta a Espaa and have presented their candidacy to fight for her in this fast-paced start to the race.
Just two days of competition with a high level of demand in the route through Basque and Navarrese roads, in an edition cut to eighteen stages, have been enough to leave the group of candidates for the red completely selected the group of cyclists from which they should The man who climbed to the top of the podium in Madrid will come out on November 8.
Carchi’s and Bogot’s are fourth and fifth, respectively, just a handful of seconds behind the leader, the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), in a Vuelta start in which he sifts through the toughness of the first two days has made it very clear that cyclists are in their best condition to aspire to anything with little more than the fingers of one hand.
The finishing touch may come on Thursday in the third day with a third hard finish, but that will be the first high altitude in the Laguna Negra, since both the first day in Arrate and this second in Lekunberri had to cover a few kilometers after passing the top of the mountain.
The Ecuadorian knew before the start in Iran that in this Vuelta he has the opportunity to claim his leadership in the structure of the all-powerful British formation of the Ineos Grenadier and he is not willing to let it pass.
The failure of Ineos in the Tour and that things were twisted with the abandonment of the Giro by a fall of real bad luck of its leader, the British Geraint Thomas, although they could still right it with Tao Geoghegan Hart, has left the Vuelta as the trick to make up for it.
In the Spanish race, Carapaz has started in an impeccable way, although today on the way to Lekunberri he has lost one of those who should be his point of support, the Colombian Brandon Rivera.
In a terrain that he knows to perfection, it was not in vain that his landing in Europe took place in Navarre with the Lizarte team from which he made the leap to Movistar and where he lived for three years, the “ Carchi locomotive did not hesitate, as soon as he could, Try to test the forces of your adversaries.
On the way to the first foothills of the ascent to San Miguel de Aralar, he staged an attack together with his partner, the Costa Rican Andrey Amador, who launched the race for good and then, with the banner of the mountain pass in view, he accelerated to test the forces of their rivals.
Neither Roglic nor the young Enric Mas (Movistar), who came to occupy the position that Carchi left in the telephone training, nor the other applicants, have shown signs of weakness, which is why they have chosen to take a step back while waiting of a better time.
Carapaz, before taking the first rides at La Vuelta, already underlined the importance of this first week in the development of the Vuelta. “It will be decisive,” he said, so in this tough and demanding start he is willing to give the slightest concession.
More surprising and in a favorable way is the performance that the Bogota-born Chaves is showing at the beginning of the Vuelta.
At 30 years of age, he seems to be willing to emulate the cyclist who in 2016 signed a double podium in Giro (2) and Vuelta (3) but who in the following years has become the man who bears the label of aspirant but who has shown very rarely and ephemerally such a condition.
Both in Arrate, on the first day, and in San Miguel de Aralar this second, they have joined the group of the best with whom they have ridden without apparent difficulties, although they have never shown the wheel to their rivals.
If he does not want to show his cards, it is a sign that the best Chaves may be back and in the game. Return to Spain be one of its protagonists.
Chaves already made it clear in Arrate that the classification is already clear from the beginning is good for him because “there is no stress of the speed stages or a time trial”.
Yes Luis Sorolla
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