Clásica de Almería

Movistar Team best squad in Clásica de Almería with Ventoso (5th) and Visconti (7th) within the best ten; Rojas abandons with stomach troubles

Movistar Team couldn’t get the best icing to their beautiful performance this week in Andalusia -a stage win and the overall for Alejandro Valverde in the regional stagerace- with a victory in the 26th Clásica de Almería, the 1.HC event closing the days of competition in the South for José Luis Arrieta’s group. The 5th spot by Fran Ventoso and the 7th by Giovanni Visconti into the 60-rider bunch sprint won by Michael Matthews (RAB). The Blues took the win in the teams ranking of the 185k race starting in Roquetas de Mar.

The huge pace by some sprinters’ squads into the feed zone made a split into the bunch, with Pablo Lastras and Javi Moreno -winner of the local riders’ competition- joining Ventoso and Visconti into the first group over the line. Luck was way worse for the 2011 runner-up and number 1 bib José Joaquín Rojas, who could not contest the sprint after retiring with stomach problems.