Cimolai, first leader after a controversial ending / La Opinión de Zamora

Barbero, who won the sprint, was penalized in favor of the Italian

Italian Davide Cimolai (Israel Cycling Academy) ended up winning the first stage of the XXXIV Vuelta Ciclista a Castilla y León, in which Burgos' Carlos Barbero (Movistar) had initially won, relegated to fifth place after the technical jury deemed he had made an irregular maneuver in the sprint.

Although the claim had come from Euskadi-Murias, their rider involved in the finish in Castrojeriz (Burgos), Enrique Sanz, had to settle for second place, as the Italian cyclist had not committed any irregularities nor had he benefited from the maneuver sanctioned on Barbero. Thus, the 181-kilometer stage between the Burgos towns of Belorado and Castrojeriz, the longest of this edition, brought the first controversy to the race.

The first attempt at this year's Vuelta Ciclista a Castilla y León required extra effort from the 177-rider peloton, who, from the first pedal stroke, tried to bring the spectacle of cycling to the asphalt, despite the inclement weather on the difficult terrain.

The first skirmishes showed the intentions of both sides to gain minimal advantages, which were almost immediately nullified, until at kilometer 16 a group of four units emerged, then five, after the incorporation of Álvaro Trueba (Sporting Tavira).

Different nationalities were in the breakaway, but they came together to set a strong pace that widened the gap on the already fragmented peloton by more than five minutes.

The gap narrowed as the Movistar and Israel pursuers pushed forward in the lead units, but it took them a while to catch up with the five escapees, even after over a hundred kilometres. The steep climb to Altotero, coupled with intermittent rain and a strong headwind with gusts of over 70 kilometres per hour, made progress very difficult.

The dreaded wind cut the peloton in two after the chase, with a first group of around eighty riders, where the Movistar Team was once again very active, undoubtedly preparing for the arrival of its leader in this regional round, Carlos Barbero from Buraga.

Finally, Movistar's hard work paid off, and a final breakaway emerged in the final kilometers. Ten riders, including four members of the Spanish UCI World Team, set the stage perfectly for Barbero to finish in the final stretch. He also executed a job effectively, crossing the finish line in a tight sprint ahead of Italian Davide Cimolai (Israel Cycling Academy).

Barbero was a prophet in his own land and became the first race leader. However, a subsequent complaint about an irregular maneuver involving using his hands to separate himself from the Italian rider cost him the victory and provisional first place. He finished fifth, with Cimolai at the top of the podium.

Tomorrow's 170.3-kilometer stage will pass through Palencia, between Frómista and Villada, with the possibility that the wind could also play a trick on the rider and decide the finish line.