Córdoba has welcomed the Skoda SuperStage, the fifth day of Andalucía Bike Race by GARMIN. It was a marathon day of more than 92 kilometers with a spectacular route and nearly 2,000 meters of positive elevation gain. The stage left Córdoba towards La Canchuela to find a new section called ‘La Cuesta del Hielo’, recovered from the first editions. Afterwards, the runners would go through the Fangorn Forest and the mythical climb to El Reventón before going down the incredible Loma de los Escalones that would lead them to the finish line in Parque de la Asomadilla.
From the first kilometers of the long Skoda Super Stage, the leaders Wout Alleman and Fabian Rabensteiner (Wilier Pirelli Factory) have taken control of the race closely followed by Enrique Morcillo and Hugo Drechou (BUFF®-Megamo Team), who were the only ones who could keep up. The leaders of the general classification upon reaching the finish line declared: “Today the plan was to control the situation a bit. Halfway through the race we stayed ahead with Morcillo and Drechou from the BUFF®-Megamo Team and for us it was a good situation. We have been able to go with them and reach the finish line together. We are very happy with the stage”.
After a good collaboration, the two couples have played the stage victory at the finish line located in Parque de la Asomadilla. Black pudding and Drechou have prevailed and they have thus obtained their first stage victory in this edition of Andalucía Bike Race by GARMIN. “Two days ago we finished third, yesterday second and we already wanted to get to the top. Yesterday we already talked about the idea being to go with the leaders and the plan has turned out great. We have collaborated between the two couples and on the last climb we have taken the lead right up to the finish line”.
With the good result achieved in the Skoda Super Stage, Alleman and Rabensteiner further strengthen their lead in the general classification and arrive at the Oakley Finisher Stage with eight minutes to spare over the Italians Francesco Failli and Riccardo Chiarini (Taddei Factory Team), who finished third in the stage and maintain second place overall.
In female elite category, the couple that has taken the reins at the beginning of the day have been Stefanie Dohrn and Lejla Njemcevic (Canyon Allebike). The German and the Serbian have come to film with more than two minute margin over the leaders Katazina Sosna and Irina Luetzelschwab (Team Torpado BULLS Swiss), but the duo of Team Torpado BULLS Swiss took advantage of their superiority in the descent to hunt them down and end up taking the stage victory in the sprint. “It has not been an easy day because they were leading Stefanie [Dohrn] and Lejla [Njemcevic]but the last descent was going well for us and we were able to close the margin and end up winning the stage”.
The Sosna and Luetzelschwab’s victory is the third in their personal computation and they maintain a lead that they will have to defend at the Oakley Finisher Stage. Both lead the general with a minute and a half margin over Dohrn and Njemcevic, while Txell Figueras and Janina Wüst (BUFF®-Megamo Team) have lost some revenue and are already six minutes off the overall lead.
The podium protocol acts have had the presence of the general director of Events and Sports Facilities of the Junta de Andalucía, Isabel Sánchez. The Skoda Super Stage will give way tomorrow to the Oakley Finisher Stage, which will close the 13th edition of Andalucía Bike Race by GARMIN. The finale of the race will be a short but intense stage, with 48 kilometers and more than 1,000 meters of unevenness. The stage will start in the direction of the Loma de los Escalones to climb the mythical ascent of the Drag-Ass. From there it will go to Los Villares, the Santo Domingo amusement park and the finish line at Parque de la Asomadilla.
STAGE CLASSIFICATION – MALE ELITE CATEGORY
Enrique Morcillo – Hugo Drechou BUFF®-MEGAMO TEAM 03:42:25
Fabian Rabensteiner – Wout German WILIER PIRELLI FACTORY 03:42:26
Francesco Failli – Riccardo Chiarini TADDEI FACTORY TEAM 03:45:09
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION – MALE ELITE CATEGORY
Fabian Rabensteiner – Wout German WILIER PIRELLI FACTORY 12:49:37
Francesco Failli – Riccardo Chiarini TADDEI FACTORY TEAM 12:57:40
Roberto Bou – Miguel Múñoz CANNONDALE VAS ARABAY 12:58:30
STAGE CLASSIFICATION – ELITE FEMALE CATEGORY
Katazina Sosna – Irina Luetzelschwab TEAM TORPADO BULLS SWISS 04:28:08
Lejla Njemcevic – Stefanie Dohrn CANYON ALLEBIKE 04:28:10
Txell Figueras – Janina Wüst BUFF®-MEGAMO TEAM 04:31:56
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION – ELITE FEMALE CATEGORY
Katazina Sosna – Irina Luetzelschwab TEAM TORPADO BULLS SWISS 15:49:10
Lejla Njemcevic – Stefanie Dohrn CANYON ALLEBIKE 15:50:44
Txell Figueras – Janina Wüst BUFF®-MEGAMO TEAM 15:55:33
