The Maraya Concert Hallthe world’s largest spectacular mirror-fronted building, reflects the arid desert landscape and reflected the first victory in a stage race for Ruben Guerreiro, a Movistar cyclist who knew how to hold his eight seconds ahead of Davide Formolo (UAE) and nine with Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain) to be crowned champion Saudi Tour. The fifth stage, between AlUla Old Town and Mayara over 142 km, was awarded Simone Consonni (Cofidis) at the sprint.
Guerreiro was signed from the EF, precisely, to fight. To support Enric Mas and try to scratch some victories that were missing last season and for what he had to suffer to avoid losing the World Tour category. And the 28-year-old Portuguese responded to the first exchange and He was a guerrilla in the fourth stage, the only one that ended on a highwhere he dressed as a leader with a triumph and demonstrated some climbing skills that He had already shone in 2020 when he won the Abruzzo stage in the Giro and finished as king of the mountains.
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Movistar has incorporated this year to Guerreiro, the young Iván Romeo (19) and the seasoned sprinter Fernando Gaviria (28), who already thanked his ‘rescue’ from the UAE in San Juan (Argentina) with a stage win few days ago.
The Spanish team controlled the stage without problems, which was marked by a breakaway of six men, including Txomin Juaristi (Eukaltel Euskadi) and that she was neutralized 3.5 km from the finish line. Before, at 35 km, the peloton had to save an 8 km stretch of sterrato that did not break the group.
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Movistar shone in Saudi Arabia, a country with which signed a collaboration agreement with his federation last year to develop cycling. In search of a second powerful sponsor to be able to take another leap in terms of transfers in 2024, he left his stamp on a showcase in which a lot of money moves. Guerreiro, one of his signings, was to blame.
