The queen stage arrived at the Vuelta Bantrab 2023 and the beetles made themselves feel as expected. Miguel Ángel “Superman” López delivered a new victory to Team Medellín – EPM.
The boyacense lived up to expectations and was confirmed as the best climber in the competition, which this Saturday presented the fourth and penultimate fraction, between Patulul and San Lucas Tolimán, Sololá, with a distance of 116.5 kilometers.
“Everything went smoothly. The team has been amazing once again. We came with the firm intention of taking everything possible and so far it has worked out. It was a very tough ascent, but these are the climbs that suit my characteristics as a cyclist. The race ends tomorrow and we will surely be on the podium of the best”, said Superman López at the end of the stage.
Born in Pesca, Boyacá, he snatched victory in the final sprint from his compatriot Juan Diego Alba (Movistar Best PC), who did everything almost perfectly to raise his arms as a winner. In third place came an Óscar Sevilla (Team Medellín – EPM), who was at a high level to defend the lead.
Precisely, on the sides of the individual general classification, Óscar Sevilla (Team Medellín – EPM), continues to lead. The Colombian – Spanish continues to show that he is the most complete runner in the competition, and was only one day away from the title.
“We are very happy with what has been done. Team Medellín – EPM respects rivals in this way, winning. It is not easy to win in another country, the level of this competition is very high, even if it doesn’t seem like it, and we are happy to rest because we are still at the top of the Vuelta”, said an Óscar Sevilla who was more than proud of what has been achieved so far in Guatemala.
Sevilla dominates the Vuelta Bantrab with an accumulated time of 12 hours, 09 minutes, 58 seconds, followed by Miguel Ángel “Superman” López (Team Medellín – EPM), with the same figure, and closing the podium is a man of the house, Guatemalan Sergio Chumil (Hino – One – La Red – Tigo – Suzuki), who is 3 minutes, 53 seconds behind.
The mountainous day began with the early movement of several runners, at the end the breakaway of the day was made up of the Colombian Édison Alejandro Callejas (Team Petrolike), the Panamanian Alex Antonio Strah (Panama is Culture and Values) and the Guatemalan Alder Torres (Municipalidad de Frajanes), but in the final ascent they were neutralized by the favourites.
This Sunday the last stage of the chapina round will be run, another leg-breaking day, leaving San Juan La Laguna and ending in Patzún. The 98-kilometre route will serve to crown the new monarch of the Vuelta. The previous year, Heiner Parra, from Boyacá, was the champion of the test.
By Andres Piedrahita in Review Cycling World