A thousand cyclists in the Alberto Contador Ride held in Cantabria

Almost a thousand cyclists answered the call of the Alberto Contador Foundation this Sunday, June 1, and cycled through Cantabria with the rider from Pinto in the fourth solidarity cycling ride that bears his name, a race that is held for the first time outside Madrid.

The Tour de France, Giro and Vuelta a España champion has changed for a few hours the scenery of Teide, where he has been preparing for this year’s Tour, for the landscapes of Cantabria. And he went from the demands of training to pedalling for a charitable cause, surrounded by fans and smilingly handing out signatures to those who asked him for a dedication on their bicycles or jerseys.

The ride, which aims to spread the use of bicycles and raise funds for the foundation that bears the cyclist’s name, started at half past eight in the morning from the Palacio de los Deportes in Santander, where the finish line was also located. Cyclists from all over Spain, as well as from France, England and Germany, have joined the race, which has two routes, one of ‘medio fondo’, with 126 kilometres, and another of ‘gran fondo’, with 165 kilometres.

The runners crossed the Cabárceno Nature Park and climbed the Fuente Las Varas pass before splitting the routes. This year, for the first time this year, the solidarity march has left Madrid in view of the importance of cycling in Cantabria and also because Santander is this year’s European City of Sport.