HIS CLIMB TOWARDS THE PROS. A member of the small Tellego community in the Ribera de Arriba town in Asturias, Pelayo Sánchez was a good junior cyclist -part of the best development team of the time, the MMR Academy from his home region- who showed evidence of his real quality once he became an under-23, while part of the Gomur-Cantabria Infinita outfit. At the pink squad he rose to prominence in the challenging 2020 season, by winning a stage in the Vuelta a Cantabria plus the Oñati classic, other than a decent 4th in the Memorial Valenciaga and 5th in the Spanish ITT Championships. Not bad at all for an eminently climbing figure, a feather at just over 60kg.

DETAILS OF GREAT QUALITY. Burgos – BH concedes him the chance to be a pro in 2021, and his skills allow him shining quite soon. He anticipates to be ready to do so well in the late summer with some good legs in the Arctic Race, and in his La Vuelta debut -first Grand Tour in his neo-pro season, at just 21 years of age- he goes on the offensive several times, especially in the Asturias / Galicia mountains and most importantly at the Gamoniteiru day, seeking to follow the unstoppable Michael Storer. His 2022 season, overshadow by health issues -especially Epstein-Barr- precedes an absolute breakthrough in 2023.

TO THE TOP. His name raises quite some eyebrows when he shows up at the results as 2nd in the 2023 Challenge Mallorca’s Trofeo Pollença, at a punchy final climb which he likes so much, beating many WorldTour competitors. His progression is further underlined in late April, claiming the most emotional first pro win at his reach: the final stage of ‘his’ Vuelta a Asturias, in Oviedo, in tears, in front of his home crowd. He would go on to climb onto the GC podium at Portugal’s GP Beiras, in May, then trains meticulously for La Vuelta, and explodes: 3rd in Guadarrama (st. 20) to Poels and Evenepoel; 6th at another mountain breakaway in the Laguna Negra de Vinuesa; and staying with the main contenders, at ‘GC riding mode’, at the Asturian stages of L’Angliru and La Cruz de Linares. His place is undoubtedly the WT.