José Manuel Cayuela (Encacon SLU) has become this Friday the first leader of the VII Vuelta Ciclista a Almería by winning the sprint in the first stage, 86 kilometres between Huércal-Overa and Mojácar Playa, with a time of 1 hour, 54 minutes and 19 seconds, followed by José Antonio Sánchez (Kazajoz) and Víctor Pérez-Abela (Eshmun Sport Clinic).
Among the female participants, the first leader is Azahara Pozuelo, first at the finish line with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes and 13 seconds. Second was Ana Isabel Morales (Dr. Bike Granada) and third María García (Bicicletas Km. 0).
Cayuela was the fastest of the seven riders who were competing for the stage victory on the Paseo del Mediterráneo de Mojácar Playa, who arrived with a few seconds more than half a minute ahead of the main bunch.
The first stage of the Vuelta Ciclista a Almeria has been ridden at a very fast pace, as evidenced by the average speed of almost 45 kilometres per hour recorded by the seven leading riders during the 86 kilometres of the route, which has passed through the special sprints of El Saltador and Vera and the mountain passes of Santa Maria de Nieva, the Geoda de Pulpí and La Simona. All this, despite the bad weather that accompanied the day, especially in the final stretch between Villaricos and Mojácar Playa, with a lot of wind and rain.
Throughout the stage there were several breakaway attempts, although none of them were successful, with the peloton controlling the situation at all times. A group of eight riders came closest in the last kilometres of the stage, although they were also caught before the finish line.
By categories, the first classified riders were Víctor Pérez-Abela (Eshmun Sport Clinic) in the elite category, José Manuel Cayuela (Encacon SLU) in the men’s master 30, Azahara Pozuelo in the women’s master 30, Jorge Martín Montenegro (Bikestore Almería) in the men’s master 40, María García (Bicicletas Km. 0) in master 40 female, Manuel Martínez Costa (Costabike) in master 50 male, José Antonio Bravo (Dr. Bike Granada) in master 60 male and José Luis Asencio (PC Dos Hermanas-Gómez Moral) in sub-23 male, best young rider. The leaders in the mountains are Manuel Maestra (CC Juan Zurano) and Azahara Pozuelo, and in the special sprints are Víctor Pérez-Abela (Eshmun Sport Clinic) and Ana Isabel Morales (Dr. Bike Granada).
At the ribbon cutting ceremony were present the delegate of the Regional Government of Andalusia in Almeria, Aránzazu Martín; the mayor of Huércal-Overa, Domingo Fernández, as well as the Andalusian parliamentarians Maribel Sánchez Torregrosa and Carmen Navarro, together with the CEO of Total Sport Mediterranean, Sergio Domínguez. Also present at the awards ceremony were Mojácar Town Councillors for Sports, Francisco García; Contracting, Ana García; Tourism, Emmanuel Agüero, and Foreign Relations, Lucas Mayo, as well as the manager of Hyundai Almerialva, Asier Arrizabalaga.
The second stage, on Saturday 18 February, will start from Mojácar Playa in the direction of Garrucha, where kilometre zero of a 99.6 kilometre route will be located, which will reach Mojácar town. The first special sprint of the day will be located in Cuevas del Almanzora, at kilometre 12 of the race, and after kilometre 18 will be the starting point for the men’s masters 50 and 60 categories and the women’s masters 30 and 40. The next point of interest will be the mountain pass of Alto de la Cuesta del Negro, at kilometre 30.4, which will be immediately followed by a special sprint at Rambla Aljibe (kilometre 33.3). The race will move on to the Alto del Chive (kilometre 46.1) and head towards Los Gallardos, where another special sprint awaits at kilometre 86.1. From there, the cyclists will look for the finish line, located in the town centre of Mojácar, with a high finish and a mountain pass at the finish line.
The Vuelta Ciclista a Almería is organised by the Club Deportivo A Toda Marcha and Total Sport Mediterranean and has the institutional sponsorship of the Diputación Provincial de Almería and the town councils of Huércal-Overa, Mojácar and Adra. Electrohidráulica SP-Palfinger is the main sponsor, Hyundai Almerialva the official vehicle, the Gran Premio de la Montaña is sponsored by Bicis y Motos Craviotto, Estación de Servicio Cepsa-Los Gurullos the Gran Premio de la Regularidad, López Urrutia the Mejor Joven and Urci Hormigones the Gran Premio de las Metas Volantes. The town councils of Garrucha and Los Gallardos collaborate, as well as Guardia Civil and Guardia Civil de Tráfico, as well as Caparrós, Almesu, Almericar, GSport and dpbmedia.