Friday's day, which He had to crown the new champion of Spain of counterrelojended up wrapped in an absolute bewilderment. What in principle was A 14 -kilometer chrono -scallop between the Visitors Center El Dornajo and the Peñones parking lot – With an average slope of 5.2% – ended up becoming a kind of puzzles for organizers, technicians and runners. But the one who was victorious was Abel Balderstone.
On paper, David de la Cruz left as a favorite to revalidate his titlewith clear threats such as Raúl García leg, champion in 2022, and Iván Romeo, in a state of grace after his exhibition in the last criterium du Dauphiné. But The script ended up jumping through the air. Ignacio Gallego was the first, at about 2:15 p.m., in starting the chrono -scallop. With some abandonment for heat stroke, such as Javier Romothe test was developed normally. Or that seemed. Because, At the end of David de la Cruz, in force champion, uncertainty began. In principle, the organization pointed to Abel Balderstone, from Caja Rural, had the best time. But they didn't even know the cyclists themselves.
Balderstone, celebrating his first place.
“You want the desire a little”
Raúl García leg, Between nervous laughs, he manifested it clearly: “We only know that we have raised each oneand from there we have lost ourselves. ” From the cross It gave more data: “We had the reference before García leg arrived that the best time was Romeo with 30:04, then García leg has arrived with 29:52 and I with 29:49. They tell us that they had been wrong and Balderstone has been removed a minute of the time he had given. ”
And the clearest was Iván Romeo: “I am yet dizzy. I don't know, they clarify, it cannot be so, it is a shame, which is a Spanish championship. We have been here for 40 minutes that we have not eaten or anything. I have a lot of love to the Federation, but it is a nonsense. Then we complain that runners are not coming, but one week from the tour I could be doing height and I am here, and you want the desire a little. ”
The winnerafter more than half an hour of confusion and multiple cross versions, It was finally Abel Balderstone. The young cyclist of Caja Rural – Seguros RGA, 24, was imposed with a chrono 29:27 And a national champion jersey that places him as one of the revelations of the year was wrapped.
The controversy exploded when Balderstone arrived at the finish line. From its dorsal, The runners began to take the exit with two -minute intervals, but the timing system did not update correctly those changes. Result: the final times were unjustified and began to Circular contradictory information. First, Iván Romeo wins; Then, Raúl García leg; Then, to De la Cruz … until, after long minutes of uncertainty, The technical jury settled the mess and officially announced the victory of Catalan.
