Pamplona (EFE) of Pamplona after a day full of toughness and spectacularity.
Markus comfortably took first place with a difference over his rivals of more than 40 seconds. The Russian cyclist from Israel, Tamara Dronova signed her first podium of the year and the New Zealand Ella Wyllie, from Lifeplus Wahoo, was third. They were the cyclists who accompanied the winner on the podium. The race lasted four hours. Ane Santesteban (tenth) was the best Spanish.
A total of 124 runners divided into 22 teams left Avenida de Sancho el Fuerte after 1:45 p.m. with great expectation to go through different towns in Navarra, including the walls of Olaverri, Tiebas, Biurrun, Tirapu, Añorbe , Artajona, El Perdón, Zariquiegui and Galar. It was the first time that the Clásica went from two to a single day, giving it more effort.
career phases
After the starting gun, 15 runners arrived unmarked at the first wall with more than a minute difference from the rest, a time that increased with the passing of the minutes. The Dutch Mareille Meijering and Rosita Reijnhout took the lead in the breakaway.
The participants went up and down the different walls. After Añorbe, four teams were represented in the top positions. These were the Movistar Team, the Jumbo-Visma, the Israel-Premier and Lifeplus-Wahoo.
The good weather continued throughout the race, but the wind was one of the battles that kept all the girls in suspense under a cloudy sky that slowed down the water.
With 24 kilometers to go, Meijering, Harris, Pirrone and Swinkels, that is, the favourites, saw no opposition after more than 60 kilometers that they had broken away. Pirrone relented and left the head of the race to leave his teammates in El Perdón.
On the other hand, Erica Magnaldi pulled the car among the 25 pursuers. The main group was reduced to 8 riders (Markus, Swinkels, Santesteban, Dronova and Wyllie) before reaching Cizur. The final blow would not be long in coming.
The New Zealander of Lifeplus Wahoo, Ella Harris and the Dutchman of Movistar, Meijering were left alone until, with ten kilometers to go, Riejanne Markus, a 28-year-old cyclist from Jumbo-Visma, joined the party and went straight towards Sancho the Strong. She was the big surprise. The double world medalist escaped on the last wall.
With the rain letting itself be seen, the classic saw its end. Markus crossed the line alone to the applause of those present, who had crowded around the straight minutes before.