Movistar becomes best team in 2019 Bira after huge performance

Emakumeen Bira (finale)

Mavi García (5th), Eider Merino (9th) finish within top-ten at one of the UCI Women's WorldTour's most mountainous races, with big efforts from Jasinska, Gutiérrez -both into today's break around Oñati; Spaniard 4th at final sprint-, Llamas and Patiño all over Basque four-day event.

Italian Elisa Longo Borghini (TFS) made a final surge into a late break to claim overall honours in the 2019 Emakumeen Bira (UCI Women’s WorldTour), coming out with the win in a grueling 156km stage four around Oñati with four rated ascents. A day where the Movistar Team was undoubtedly a big protagonist.

Gutiérrez and Jasinska during their breakaway. (c) Photo Gomez Sport

The squad managed by Jorge Sanz and Sebastián Unzué notched up the prize as best team in Basque race following incredible efforts during the four-day event, most importantly during a final stage which they led from the very beginning. A third consecutive stage in the breakaway by Malgorzata Jasinska, alongside fellow countrywoman Anna Plichta (TFS), turned into a double escape from the Blues as Sheyla Gutiérrez came from behind and joined ‘Jasi’ to drop the rest of the group in the Alto de Untzilla (Cat-3). The duo was caught with a selection of favourites -including Mavi García- just before the decisive Asentzio (Cat-1).

Merino and García, both into the top-ten overall. (c) Movistar Team

The attack by Longo Borghini ended up bringing her home with a four-second margin over the first peloton of about twelve riders, where Gutiérrez took a fine 4th place as García and Eider Merino confirmed their GC top-ten results: Mavi in 5th, Eider in 9th. The exemplary teamwork from Lorena Llamas and Paula Patiño rounded off a race where the Movistar Team, already a top-ten overall finish in their debut (2018) with Jasinska, again shifted its own expectations against the very best in the world.

Cover picture (c): Velofocus