Lucas Blanco, a cyclist from A Coruña, has won the VII Clásica Araba, a junior cycling race held in Vitoria. The event, part of the Spanish Cup, featured 169 participants who completed a 140-kilometer route.
Blanco proved to be the strongest in the final section of the race, including the ascent of Zaldiaran, securing a clear victory over Adrián Lozano and Eneko Ugartemendia.
The trio was part of a twelve-rider breakaway that formed on the final lap, around kilometer 103. Blanco, a member of Picusa Academy (linked to the amateur team Cortizo), was the national runner-up in the cadet time trial last season, and this marks his first win of the current year.
The Alava race was completed at a notable speed, despite the intense heat endured by the participants. Several breakaways occurred in the first part of the course, but none managed to gain a significant time advantage.
The Zaldiaran climb, located near the finish on the third pass, offered an opportunity for riders to make a move. The Vitoria pass was also a challenge, but its difficulty was not enough to significantly thin out the peloton.
A decisive selection occurred with thirty kilometers remaining, between the two mountain passes. Several teams sought to play their cards, forming a leading group of fifteen riders who would ultimately contest the win. With representation from almost all squads, no one wanted to abort the breakaway, leaving the outcome dependent on the strength of the frontrunners. Thus, on the initial slopes of Zaldiaran, Blanco, Lizano, and Ugartemendia emerged at the front.
However, the Galician rider showed greater ambition and strength, aiming to avoid a sprint finish and capitalize on his chances against his rivals. He increased the pace and managed to break away from his two companions, while the other twelve riders in the breakaway focused on maintaining their positions.
Earlier, the leader of the Spanish Cup, Dario Gimeno, had crashed, losing his chances to compete with the leaders. Meanwhile, Lucas Blanco was pedaling hard towards the finish line in the Vitoria neighborhood of Aretxabaleta, holding a twenty-second advantage over his two pursuers.
In this manner, Blanco succeeds Eñaut Urkaregi in the winners' list of the Vitoria event. Lizano managed to drop Ugartemendia to secure second place solo, while the rider from Gipuzkoa salvaged his effort with third place on the podium.
The race was completed at an average speed exceeding 40 kilometers per hour, offering no respite to the cyclists.
Among the notable finishers was the first Alavesa rider, Aratz Sánchez, who finished twelfth. The King of the Mountains classification went to Adrián Lizano, and the best team was Picusa, with three of its riders finishing in the top eight.
