In a stellar performance, Tomás Contte (Municipalidad de Pocito) brilliantly won the 12.5-kilometer individual time trial, held between Zonda and Punta Negra in the rain, which altered the overall standings of the Vuelta a San Juan.
The Argentine cyclist, who stopped the clock at 17 minutes and 39 seconds, beat the Chilean riders from Plus Racing, Cristóbal Baeza and Héctor Quintana, by 12 and 13 seconds, respectively.
During the stage, rain fell in the Punta Negra area, adding difficulty to the course and forcing the cyclists to take extra precautions on the technical sections. The time trial did not include any sprint or mountain finishes, as it was an individual effort against the clock.
With the results obtained in the time trial, Tomás Contte (Municipality of Pocito) climbed to first place in the competition, snatching the lead from his teammate Nicolás Tivani.
Tomás Contte, a cyclist from Zárate, Buenos Aires, analyzed the stage and clearly identified the most demanding section of the course. “The hardest part was the climb, obviously. We were fast on the flat, but we knew we had to push hard there too because that’s where you can lose a lot of time,” the cyclist explained.
The new leader emphasized the importance of maintaining a consistent pace throughout the time trial. “I think I rode a pretty consistent time trial, and I’m really happy to be able to take this,” he said after confirming the best time of yesterday’s stage.
When asked about the level of his rivals, Contte highlighted the caliber of the specialists present. “The level of time trialists here in Argentina is fantastic, it’s spectacular,” he stated, adding that these types of races “are incredibly useful for testing ourselves and measuring our progress, for seeing where we stand.”
The San Juan race continues this Wednesday with the fifth stage, a flat 138.7-kilometer stage around Rivadavia. Next Sunday in San Juan, we will find out who succeeds Nicolás Tivani, winner of the last edition.
General Classification
1 – Tomás Contte – Municipality of Pocito – 17:39:450
2 – Cristóbal Baeza Muñoz – Plus Racing – 17:51:630
3 – Héctor Quintana – Plus Racing – 17:52:160
Source: Revista Mundo Ciclístico