The Algarve cyclist Ricardo Mestre, from Carmim/Prio/Tavira, reached yesterday the 2nd place in the prologue of the Joaquim Agostinho Trophy.
The 35th edition of the Torres Vedras International Grand Prix – Joaquim Agostinho Trophy kicked off yesterday with an 8-kilometre Individual Time Trial.
The course, with quite complex characteristics, as it involved an extremely hard climb and a technical descent, gave a second place to the athlete Ricardo Mestre, who also occupies that position in the general classification, just 5 seconds behind the winner and leader Iker Camaño (Endura Racing).
Still in the first ten, Alejandro Marque was in 5th position, 12 seconds behind the winner.
The winner, 33-year-old Spaniard Iker Camaño, who has already played for three teams in the first international division, was the strongest in the short but difficult 8km time trial, having cut the finish line with 11m29s, after pedaling at average of 41,800 km/h.
The hard climb to Serra da Vila, the descent technique that followed and the strong wind were the main adversaries of the runners.
With these ingredients, despite the short length of the route, the established differences begin to be significant, especially from the fifth place onwards, although everything remains open in the fight for the Liberty Seguros yellow jersey.
Iker Camaño commands with 5 seconds ahead of the winner of the previous edition, Ricardo Mestre (Carmim-Prio-Tavira), who is second. The third is Hugo Sabido (LA-Antarte), at 6 seconds.
In the classification by teams, which is led by LA-Atarte, Carmim/Prio/Tavira is in third position.
Today, the first stage is run in a line, 184 kilometers between Manique do Intendente and Vimeiro. The start was at 11:30 am, and the arrival is expected to take place, at the Monument to the Battle of Vimeiro, around 15:45, after three third category mountain counts have been passed, which precedes another difficulty of the same level, coinciding with the goal.
This race is extremely important for the Algarve group as it serves as a test of preparation for the Volta a Portugal.
Individual Classification
1st Iker Camaño (Endura Racing), 11m29s
2rd Ricardo Mestre (Carmine-Prio-Tavira), at 5s
3rd Hugo Sabido (LA-Antarte), at 6s
4nd Ioannis Tamouridis (SP Tableware), 12s
5th Alejandro Marque (Carmine-Prio-Tavira), mt
6th David Blanco (Efapel-Glassdrive), mt
7th Jaume Rovira (Gios Deyser-Leon Castro), at 17s
8nd José Gonçalves (Onda-Boavista), 18s
9th José Mendes (LA-Antarte), mt
10th Edgar Pinto (LA-Antarte), at 24s
General Teams
1st LA-Antarte, 35m15s
2nd Endura Racing, at 2s
3rd Carmim-Prio-Tavira, at 4s
general youth
1st José Gonçalves (Onda-Boavista)
2nd Rafael Silva (Liberty Seguros/Fair/Specialized)
3rd André Mourato (Liberty Seguros/Fair/Specialized)
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