Trofeo Palma

Duo of Spaniards take 5th and 6th for Movistar Team at opening race of Challenge Ciclista a Mallorca - Belgian Dehaes (LTB) claims win at bunch sprint

The 2013 cycling season in Spain started on Sunday morning with the Trofeo Palma, the first of four days of competition in the Challenge Ciclista a Mallorca, over ten laps (116km in total) of the traditional circuit in the beach front of the Balearic capital. Movistar Team, led by Alejandro Valverde in its return into competition -with Alex Dowsett making his first outing as team member-, showed active in the inaugural race, controlling the isolated attempts before the final two laps.

At the sprint, Fran Ventoso and José Joaquín Rojas played their cards side by side to take 5th and 6th, respectively, behind the day’s winner Kenny Dehaes (LTB). Slightly boxed in into a sprint with strong head winds, the pair will try to get back and fight at the Challenge’s second trophy, over 167km around the cities of Campos, Santanyí and Ses Salines, most likely for another sprint finish. Rojas and Ventoso will be joined tomorrow by Dowsett, Andrey Amador, Imanol Erviti, Pablo Lastras, Ángel Madrazo, Enrique Sanz and Giovanni Visconti.