Puerto Rico champion fights until very end for success in place where he cut his teeth; Mathias Norsgaard completes great breakaway alongside Lluís Mas. Nizzolo (TQA) wins.
The young talents from the Movistar Team offered a satisfactory performance at Sunday’s Circuito de Getxo, with good attitude and notable results over the 193km hilly course in the Basque Country. They were part of the early moves, with Johan Jacobs; spent most of the day into the main breakaway, with Mathias Norsgaard alongside Lluís Mas -KOM classification winner-; and did great in the finale with another nice performance from Abner González.
It was another good day from Mathias, who kept up with the breakaway as the group thinned out, with Mohoric (TBV) and Trentin (UAD) picking up the pace, and was caught only 23km before the end by a counter move created into the final lap, with Norsgaard soon getting into ‘domestique mode’ for Abner. The ‘boricua’ attacked at the tough climb of Pike Bidea alongside Buitrago (TBV), an effort which helped him join the final split of seven riders, together with Aleotti, Schelling (BOH), Covi (UAD), Ciccone (TFS) and eventual winner Nizzolo (TQA).
Despite getting dropped by the final attacks in the front group, Abner never stopped fighting until the final slope of Txomintxu, made it back and only the fierce sprint took him off the podium, 4th over the line at 12″. Both Abner, Mathias and most of the Getxo roster will be part of the Movistar Team lineup for a promising Volta a Portugal, which starts Wednesday.
Cover picture (c): Photo Gomez Sport