Three Idemticos ambassadors complete the most inclusive Gran Fondo Contador

The excellent facilities of Oliva Nova Beach & Golf hosted this Saturday a new edition of the Gran Fondo Alberto Contador, the thirteenth since its creation and the seventh consecutive to be held in this Valencian corner and that proposes an important part of its route through the orography of La Marina Alta alicantina. The race, in which this year’s honoree was the great Pedro Delgado, was attended by three of the ambassadors of the Idemticos project of the Contador Foundation, an initiative that promotes inclusive cycling, the promotion of adapted cycling and its greater visibility at all levels.

Léster Fernández, a Cuban who lives in Barcelona and is an MC5 athlete; José Manuel Dosdad, MC4; and Raúl Vallinot, MC3, from Madrid, were three of the 2,300 participants who took on the 147 kilometres of the proposed route; a demanding route, with more than 2,500 metres of accumulated height gain and passes through the mountain passes of Rates, Sa Creueta and Vall d’Ebo, as well as a multitude of steep slopes that erode one’s strength. Among the participants, the current world cyclo-cross champion, the Dutchwoman Fem Van Empel, and the honoured rider, Pedro Delgado. The Plaza Éboli Cycling Academy was also represented by a parent.

‘The course is phenomenal; it’s demanding, but I loved it‘, explained Fernández, who completed the course in 5h 24’ 42’. ‘Another thing I would highlight is that they allow us to be in front, which ensures less risk of falls, and also greater visibility for what we do and what we represent’.

‘The Gran Fondo Contador is beautiful, it’s exciting, with a demand that invites me to train more for the future,’ jokes Dosdad, who would finish in less than six hours. ‘It’s incredible when you cycle through one of those areas where you look down and see a tide of cyclists. The route is lovely, with beautiful climbs and lots of cheering from the people in all the villages. The rain, as expected, ended up coming and we had to get wet for an hour’.

Raul Vallinot took 7h35’40’. ‘I finished escorted by a group that gave me a great cover on the final flat terrain. I think it would have been much harder in the heat. I really enjoyed the descents and in the last 80 kilometres I felt very good. The 17% climb made it a bit difficult, but we managed to get through it. The best thing of all was the recognition of the majority of the peloton’.

The race started under cloudy skies and a perfect temperature for cycling. It was not until the 80th kilometre that the rain made an appearance to accompany the first groups to the finish.

Alberto Contador, faithful to his custom, led the peloton during the first neutralised metres to pass and wait for the exit of the last rider and go up and greet all the cyclists present. During the first third of the race he caught up with Pedro Delgado, with whom he finally crossed the finish line.

‘Even though the rain came halfway through the race, we had a super-fun morning riding with the other participants’, said Contador. ‘It has been a pleasure to be part of this race because it is an area with a lot of cycling fans and you can see that everything is well organised and that you can enjoy from the first to the last kilometre’, said Delgado.