Since Monday, he assimilates the workload and the lean of lessons left by the first big three-week race. Xabier Mikel Azparren (Donostia, 1999) is no longer the same cyclist who appeared at the start of the Vuelta on August 14. The runner from Euskaltel-Euskadi has been the second runner that has been on the run for the most kilometers behind Jetse Bol (Burgos BH), although his most valuable performance came with the time of the last day in Santiago. With the fatigue of three weeks on top, he was eighteenth in the 33.8 kilometer test, 50 seconds behind Enric Mas (Movistar) and just two seconds behind Jack Haig (Bahrain), to name two men on the overall podium. «I have taken five escapes, the spoiled ones and the fights, although what I value the most are the sensations of the third week, where I felt very well, and the last day. After 21 days, entering 18th in a World Tour level chrono makes me look forward to the future. For the rest, the Vuelta has made me grow and learn. I finished better than I expected and I think I have arrived at the ideal moment to face the European Championship ». He will only do the online test on Saturday since Ayuso (UAE) and García Pierna (Kern Pharma) will run the clock.
Azparren leaves tomorrow for Trento, where he will encounter a tough journey. “It will be a tough race because we go up one pass first before entering a fairly selective circuit. I think it suits me quite well. Let’s see how I assimilate the burden of these three weeks. It will have as teammates, in addition to the two mentioned cyclists who double the time, Igor Arrieta and Pau Miquel (both tested with Kern Pharma) and Marc Brusienen (Caja Rural). In addition to doing a good job in the European Championship, Azparren is also thinking of earning a place in the U23 team for the World Cup in two weeks’ time. «From there it is possible that he will run another test with Euskaltel, but the season would be practically over. For the next one I would like to go back to a big three week. The Vuelta has been a pleasant experience, “he concludes. And since dreaming is free, he remembers that departure from the 2023 Tour from Bilbao. “If there was a minimal option, I would fight it, of course.”
Ineos wins in Great Britain
On the other hand, Ineos won yesterday the 18-kilometer team time trial of the Tour of Britain with a block made up of Rohan Dennis, Richie Porte, Ethan Hayter, Carlos Rodríguez, Michal Kwiatkowski and Owain Doull. The British team led Deceuninck by 17 seconds and Jumbo-Visma by 20. As a consequence, Haiter becomes the new leader, with his teammate Dennis at 6 seconds and Wout Van Aert third at 16, with Alaphilippe fourth at 23.
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