Cycle 21
Eduardo Sepúlveda He kept his words before the start of the second and final day of the Tour of Castile and León. "We hope to be up front with the team, which is sure to have surprises. We'll try to take advantage of our opportunity and we'll have to be alert on the mountain passes." The Argentine's expression of intent ultimately became a reality. No wins since 2022 at the Tour of TürkiyeThe 32-year-old rider made his debut in the team's colors. Lotto in a big way, after moving next to the young man Pablo Castrillo in a duel that ended up going to the more veteran of the two.
The route had certain touches of The Vuelta a España, very prone to transiting in its last days of competition through the mountains of Madrid. The ascents to the port of Navacerrada and to that of Navafríawere decisive for a day that began at a frenetic pace. Eugenio Sánchez (Kern Pharma) and Jetse Bol (Burgos) were the first to form a breakaway that the peloton didn't give them much of a margin beyond the three-minute limit. Filippo Conca (Q36.5) wanted to join them on the climb to Navacerrada, reaching the height of Jetse Bol who was the only one left ahead. Sánchez - who had dropped from the head of the race - formed a duo with Pablo Castrillo who did not end up entering the leading duo.
The rain made an appearance on the way to Navafría, while the team EF Education He set a strong pace that was enough to neutralize the breakaway. In the middle of the climb, Jefferon Cepeda He took off without giving anyone a chance to get on his wheel. The Ecuadorian reached the top and launched himself into the descent, pulling away by 50 seconds. His biggest problem was riding alone, having to make a huge effort against a peloton that was riding very hard. EF Education He was unable to reach the finish line, being neutralized 13 km from the end. At that moment, Eduardo Sepúlveda next to Pablo Castrillo They left in a truly valid move that generated doubts at the back and allowed them to fight for victory.
The young man from the Kern Pharma He was more generous in his relays, seeking to have a chance of contesting the stage. On the other hand, Sepúlveda was fighting for the overall classification—possible given that he was 18 seconds behind—which could be decided by bonuses. Therefore, the Argentinian from Lotto fought for the victory against Castrillo, who had to settle for second place on the finish line at the foot of the Segovia AqueductIn the general classification, Sepúlveda won comfortably with 14 seconds over Felix Engelhardt, while Raúl García (Kern Pharma) He was the highest ranked rider - 6th at 36 seconds. Movistar was nowhere to be found in the top 10 overall, and the best rider was Gonzalo Serrano(17th).
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