Luis Pasamontes was on top of his form today at the Trofeo Cala Millor, the second trophy of the Challenge a Mallorca, over 172 kilometers in and around the Balearic coastal village.

The Asturian from Movistar Team held the head of the race for 140 kilometers since he started a break in the 15th kilometers, along with up to twenty-five riders with Iván Gutiérrez and team’s youngest Jesús Herrada, who took his professional début today, as other riders in blue. Ten kilometers later, Pasamontes attacked again and formed the real escape with American Steven Cozza and Basque Adrián Sáez de Arregi, an adventure that would keep the trio on good coopertion before the last ascent of the day, the Coll d’Artá -28km from the finish-, where the Movistar Team went solo and came in first across the line to start a final attempt that would get aborted with 15km to go, caught by a charging peloton with several teams working for their sprinters. 

The effort by Pasamontes was rewarded with a double podium appearance as winner of the King of the Mountains and combativity awards of the day. At the final sprint, Fran Ventoso and JJ Rojas could not repeat their performance from Sunday and had to content with the 5th and 10th places in Cala Millor, respectively. Another opportunity for the squad directed by Eusebio Unzué will come tomorrow with the toughest race in this year’s Challenge, the Trofeo Inca, a 166km trek featuring the ascents to Soller (Cat. 2) and Puigmajor (Cat. 1) at the race’s finale. Movistar Team will be riding with Arroyo, Bruseghin, Chente García Acosta, Gutiérrez, Herrada, Intxausti, Pardilla, Pasamontes, Plaza and Tondo.