The Gran Fondo Alberto Contador brings together more than 2,000 cyclists on the routes of La Safor and La Marina Alta

With the guarantee of an excellent weather, good temperature and sunny day, more than 2,000 cyclists enjoyed this Saturday, and suffered, the 146 kilometres of orographic proposal of the XII edition of the Total Energies Gran Fondo Alberto Contador, which once again had its start and finish in Oliva Nova Beach & Golf Resort (Valencia). A race that had more than 2,500 metres of accumulated positive height gain and, among other climbs, the Coll de Rates, Sa Creuta and Vall d’Ebo. A route with an unmistakable cycling stamp, both because of the great number of cycling fans in the area and because of the large number of rallies of professional structures, both male and female, that these roads host every year.

“At the beginning, because of the names, I didn’t know where I was. But as we cycled, I remembered when we used to train here and it really is a beautiful area and perfect for cycling”, commented Joaquim Purito Rodríguez, this year’s guest of honour. In 2023 some illustrious riders have also taken the start like Pedro Horrillo or the Swiss Álex Zulle, double winner of the Vuelta (1996, 1997), second in another edition (1993) and twice second in the Tour de France (1995, 1999), world time trial champion, overall winner in races like Paris-Nice, Vuelta al País Vasco (twice), Volta a Catalunya or Vuelta a Suiza and stage winner in the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España.

This edition was even more special because of the presence of two of the ambassadors of the Idemticos project of the Contador Foundation: José Manuel Dosdad and Alejandro Montero. The Barcelona-born rider, who lives in the Vega de Granada, and the Madrid-born rider, two athletes of great depth and enormous human quality, took part in the race with mixed fortunes. Dosdad (MC4) had to withdraw, much to his regret, due to an untimely breakage of a spoke in his rear wheel within the first 25 kilometres, while Montero (MC3), bib number 43, completed the course in just under six hours.

“Personally, I’m very happy, because it had been a long time since I’d ridden a road bike for such a long time and I felt very good, even spending less time than expected in a context where I could share some pedalling with Alberto, Purito, Pedro Horrillo and Alex Zulle. People were going full throttle! I found the Gran Fondo course tough, but at the same time very beautiful, a leg-breaking terrain. I found the descent from the climb to Vall d’Ebo to Pego especially beautiful, with breathtaking views of the entire coastline. In the final part you are already ‘a bit blinded’ by the efforts, but it was impressive. This whole area, of course, is a place to spend several days enjoying cycling. It is an area for the most authentic and real cyclotourism. The only big but of the day was the breakdown of our friend José Manuel”, tells Montero.