The Easter Classic-Xacobea de Padrón Route (A Coruña) today crowned a superb Eric Fagúndez as the winner, capable of crowning alone the hard stop of Aguasantas and withstand the final impetus of the chasing group. Francisco Muñoz, fourth, becomes the new leader of the Elite-Sub23 Spanish Cup in the absence of the final appointment that will be played in Vigo on May 15. 165 kilometers of steep terrain and a harder course than the last editions have made the 2022 test of this race a more open edition for attacks on the multitude of dimensions that have structured it.
Movements soon began to look for escape in the Coruña race, with Bennassar (GSport), Berango (Telco,m – On Clima – Osés), M. García (Vigo – Rías Baixas) and S. Jiménez (Brocar-Ale) managing to make way after leaving around kilometer 20. However, shortly before the flying finish line of Choupana/Santa Marta another important movement took place, with a group of cyclists chasing the lead and walking for quite a few kilometers: Camprubi (Eolo-Kometa), Segovia and González (Gomur-Cantabria Infinita), Castillo (Telco,m – On Clima – Osés), González, Davis and Hernáiz (Vigo-Rías Baixas)Beake and Jiménez (Brocar-Ale), Martínez (Aluminios Cortizo), Robert (Valverde Team), Bel (Team MP Group), Albrechtsen (Smartdry Girona), Bulgarin (Lasal Cocinas-Louriña).
Little by little the head cut was running out of steam and the breakaway was neutralized as it passed through Padrónrestoring a certain calm to a large group that, reaching the top of Pereira, saw how first Ara and then Hernáiz, both from Vigo-Rías Baixas, They tried to go ahead. The duo managed to handle differences close to twenty seconds, crowning Pereira ahead.
Already in Aguasantas, Hernáiz was left alone being hunted from behind first by Andrea Montoli (Eolo-Kometa) and then by a great Eric Fagúndez (Aluminios Cortizo) who released both cyclists, crowned alone and rode hard in search of victory, even increasing the differences, bringing them close to one minute on the ascent to Formarís. Behind, after the demanding climb to Aguasantas that left the chasing group at about 10 units, little by little a group was rearmed that, already with 20 units, yes, it was organized with ten kilometers to go to try to hunt down a Fagúndez on fire who ended up entering the finish line alone to complete his fantastic display.
Behind, Cole Davis (Vigo-Rías Baixas) achieved second place in the group’s sprint ahead of Javi Serrano and Francisco Muñoz (Eolo-Kometa); a fourth place that supposes for Muñoz also the leadership of the national contest to the detriment of Andoni López de Abetxuko (Caja Rural-Alea)who is the elite leader in the absence of the Vigo test on May 15.