Guatemala is ready to receive all the emotions of the Vuelta Bantrab 2023, which in its second edition will have the participation of the best Guatemalan cyclists and internationally recognized figures.
This year, the competition will have the presence of 165 participants, who will face a total of 5 stages and a route of 592 kilometers. There will also be the presence of three continental category teams.
In the entry list, the absence of the two-time champion of the Cycling Tour of Guatemala, Mardoqueo Vásquez, who will be absent for Hino-One-La Red, since he is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered a few months ago, stands out.
Let us then review some cyclists called to be protagonists in this contest:
Miguel Ángel López
Known as the “Superman”, he is a Colombian professional cyclist who has just competed at the highest level of cycling for the last 6 years. His record includes 7 victories in World Tour competitions, including the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta a España and the Tour de France.
He also won the Tour of Catalonia, and two Giro d’Italia youth titles. So far in 2023, he has already been the national time trial champion in Colombia, in addition to winning the Vuelta a San Juan, in Argentina, and the Vuelta al Tolima, in Colombia, both with Team Medellín.
Sergio Chumil
He is one of the Guatemalans with the best chances of making a space on the podium of the competition. The native of Tecpán, Chimaltenango, comes from conquering the Vuelta al Altiplano Marquense, keeping the title of the General and Mountain Classification, in addition to winning 3 stages.
In 2022 he was proclaimed U-23 champion of the 61 Tour of Guatemala, in addition to competing in Spain and Portugal for much of the year.
Juan Diego Alba
He is another Colombian professional cyclist who will compete in Guatemala with the Movistar Best–PC. The 25-year-old has already ridden in Europe, mainly for the Movistar Team, from Spain, in World Tour races. He also won a stage and was third overall in the Giro Ciclístico d’Italia in 2019.
Fredy Knock
He was the best Guatemalan in the Vuelta Bantrab 2022 and this year he will seek to become one of the protagonists again. The Chimaltenango cyclist will do it with his new Decorabaños team, with which he already won a stage in the Vuelta al Altiplano Marquense.
Byron Guamá
After missing the 61st Tour of Guatemala, the Ecuadorian Byron Guamá will return to the country looking to get on the podium with his team, Movistar Best-PC. This cyclist also has experience running in Guatemala, where he has won stages of the Cycling Tour, as well as being third overall, champion of the mountains and by points, all in 2020.
Henry Sam
He comes from showing a great level in the 61 Tour of Guatemala, in which he was proclaimed champion of the flying goals with Decorabaños. This year, the cyclist from Quetzaltenango has already won a stage in the Coatepeque Summer Classic, the same one in which he placed first in the mountain prize race.
Source: Juan Diego, www.guatemala.com