In another great performance, the Cuban Arlenis Sierra, won her second gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games, by winning the women’s long-distance event, held this Friday through the streets of the Salvadoran capital with a distance of 107.8 kilometres.
The also member of the Movistar club, was escorted on the podium by the Venezuelan Lilibeth Chacón and the Guatemalan Gabriela Soto, silver and bronze, respectively, all with the same time of 2:52:13, while it was striking that the Colombians were left outside the podium, although they placed two representatives in the top 10
This was Arlenis Sierra’s second crown in San Salvador (she had previously dominated the individual time trial) and with it she reached six in regional appointments since her debut in Veracruz 2014, where she also archived two titles.
It turned out to be a test in which the Colombian Diana Peñuela and the Mexican Anet Barrera escaped over the middle of the segment and stayed like that for 23 kilometers until the peloton neutralized them. However, everything was defined in the last 500 meters, when the Cuban set the pace and did not let anyone pass in front of her at the sentencing line.
«Mexico and Colombia made me a difficult team. I had to defend myself and trust that I would not be left alone. The teammates helped at the beginning, I asked them not to let the difference be greater than 30-40 seconds”, the Antillean rider told the media after the victory.
“When the Mexican woman came out alone, I didn’t worry because the Colombians wouldn’t allow her to leave. They scored one by one, then they stopped and then I hit one of them and they did it again. In the last lap I responded to everything that attacked me and I won”, narrated Arlenis.
«The truth is that I felt tired since I left. I’m cold But it was the last test here and I went out to give everything, “she added for greater merit.
Questioned about the feat of winning the time trial and the route, Arlenis explained that she saw the first one as easier, because “the route is more difficult, I could be left alone. If the route were flat it is easier, but on the climbs they attack you one by one and if you respond to everything you can run out of strength, “she said before dedicating the victory to her people.
With this performance, Cuba dominated the road cycling of these Central Caribbean Games with two titles, escorted by Colombia and Venezuela with one per capita, secured in the men’s category.