Iker Vicente, champion easier than expected

Iker Vicente was proclaimed champion of the most important aizkolaris championship for the third time after winning the second edition of the Sherpa.ai Txapelketa Nagusia. The one from Otsagabia was the main favorite, but he won easier than expected, from start to finish, at the Bilbao Arena in Miribilla.

He cut the twelve logs in 39 minutes and 47 seconds, beating Mikel Larrañaga, runner-up, by two minutes and 10 seconds, and Eneko Otaño, third, in three minutes and 26 seconds. Fourth finished Atutxa, fifth Julen Alberdi ‘Txikia IV’ and Jon Irazu closed the classification.

Vicente took the lead in the first kanaerdiko and never left his head. He was increasing the advantages until the last trunks, when the rhythm dropped somewhat, seeing the advantage he accumulated. The fight centered on a second place that went to Mikel Larrañaga, who escaped from Atutxa and Otaño in the third oinbiko.

In the preview of the championship, a closer fight between the champion and the runner-up was expected, but the 24-year-old Aizkolari did not leave room for surprise. Vicente knew that Larrañaga was a dangerous rival and came out with a devilish pace. The first kanaerdiko seldom leaves significant advantages, but yesterday the Navarrese Aizkolari surpassed Atutxa by more than ten seconds with Larrañaga already 17 seconds.

It was necessary to see if it was something specific or it was the trend of the championship and the second kanaerdiko made it clear that Vicente was going for everything. The advantage increased after 30 seconds and that not even four minutes of competition had elapsed. The next two 60-inch logs confirmed the superiority of the otsagabitarra. When he entered the oinbikos logs the rent was already almost a minute and the advantage did nothing but increase log after log. The champion left without emotion a championship that brought together many people, many few regulars, in the stands of Miribilla. Accustomed to equality due to the victory between Atutxa, Vicente and Larrañaga in several of the last appointments, they missed more equality. In that sense, it was more like the 2019 Euskal Herria Championship, Vicente’s first txapela, in Vitoria, when the excitement centered for second place.

Same with Larretxea

The aizkolaris came out of the eighth trunk, the last oinbiko with their positions well defined. Vicente led Larrañaga by almost three minutes, who for his part also opened a gap with respect to Otaño and Atutxa, who lost ground. Txikia IV was always in fifth position, while Jon Irazu lagged behind from the starting throne.

The last four logs were purely processed and the only news was that Eneko Otaño settled in third place. There was also an interest in knowing the time it would take for the champion to finish the job. It fell below 40 minutes, 39:47, moving within the parameters of the new century with exceptions such as in 2002 (Nazabal, 34:56), in 2003 (Larretxea, 35:51) or in 2010 (Olasagasti, 35:11) .

In the last three trunks Vicente looked like a champion and the rhythm dropped somewhat. That made Larrañaga lower a handicap somewhat, which amounted to almost three minutes. The Azpeitiarra was not well. At the end of the championship, he acknowledged that he was somewhat “tied up and uncut at ease” as happened the previous week at the Gipuzkoa Championship. Looking at the times Larrañaga and Otaño had a duel similar to the one they starred in Beasain. The one who moved in other times was the venecdor.

A winner who has already added three championships and overtakes Berakoetxea and Azurmendi and equals Donato Larratxea to three titles. He liked the staging of the organization and the new times were noticed. The wood was well laid and for the first time the final was broadcast by Gol.

‘Zelai III’ wins in women

The final began with the dispute of the women’s championship and Karmele Gisasola ‘Zelai III’ fulfilled the forecast by winning the first edition of the Sherpa.ai Txapelketa Nagusia. The aizkolaris had to cut two 36-inch logs and another two 45-inch logs, and Zelai stopped the clock at eleven minutes and 48 seconds. Maika Ariztegi began setting the pace (15:25), but lost the rope in the second trunk and was also overtaken by Uxue Ansorregi (13:02), who did a great job. The champion of Euskadi, Nerea Sorondo, sure followed the test with attention.