In a thrilling finish, as Cuban Ricardo Delgado celebrated his victory on Monday in the fourth stage of the 45th edition of the Vuelta a Chiriquí in Panama, Costa Rican Pablo Mudarra appeared out of nowhere and snatched the win, much to the disbelief of the Cuban, who began celebrating prematurely.
With 100 meters to go, the leader of the Panamanian tour accelerated through the peloton, and as Delgado raised his hands and prepared to celebrate, the rider from the Colono Bikestation Kölbi team overtook him on the right to claim the victory. The Cuban, arms raised in triumph, was stunned by the Costa Rican’s speed.
The 34-year-old Costa Rican cyclist, who has worn the leader’s jersey since the first stage, secured his second victory in the 2025 Vuelta a Chiriquí with a time of 3 hours, 25 minutes, and 11 seconds (3:25:11). He was followed by Cuban rider Delgado and Mudarra’s teammate, Joseph Ramírez, both with the same time.
“I have a good eye for judging time and distance. I knew that if I could catch the breakaway, I had a good chance of winning. I’ve been working very hard on my physical conditioning. I’ve been studying the stages of the Vuelta, and they’re going to be very tough, so you have to arrive well-prepared, and in Panama, you see the results,” Mudarra explained.
“The strategy was to keep an eye on the rivals who were close behind. The intention was to stay with them or at least finish the stage with the same time; that was the main goal. In the end, winning the stage was a bonus, because it allowed me to maintain the lead for the fourth day,” Mudarra added. With his victory, Mudarra maintains his lead in the Vuelta a Chiriquí, with a time of 10:22:16, followed by his teammate Joseph Ramírez 15 seconds behind and Belizean rider Derrick Chavarría, also 15 seconds back.
The Panamanian race continues this Tuesday with the fifth stage, a 101.1-kilometer mountain stage between the city of David and the town of Volcán, finishing with a summit finish.
Fuente: www.lanacion.com