The former national champion analyzes the mountain stages that remain until the end of the test, which will define the 2021 champion.
Completed half of the stages in flat territory, the 38th edition of the Vuelta Ciclística al Ecuador enters the decisive phase, with days in height, in which for Paulo Caicedo “differences will be seen” in the general classification.
In the first four days, the national round was run on coastal roads, but starting this sunday from Sangolquí the mountain days open, “the good thing about the Vuelta”, as advanced by the champion of the Vuelta in 1987 and 1994.
“The level of the test has been good so far, The foreign team (VIE13 Factory Team) has responded, with general leadership and two stages won, the rest of the group has had important things, but in the mountains things are different”Caicedo said.
The first to be discarded by the Carchense “In the hard part of the test” they are foreign cyclists, “in the plane they have been seen with power, very fast, they have been in the leaks, but when we have had sections with ascents they have suffered, in the high mountains they will not do so well”, commented the also an Olympic runner in 1996.
For Caicedo, the batch of candidates opting for the 2021 Vuelta title is reduced, “it will be for runners del Best PC the Movistar, about four runners, the other teams have strong men, but I don’t think it will be enough for them to fight the Vuelta ”, he indicated.
Among those candidates are Byron Guamá, Anderson Paredes (Best PC), Jorge Montenegro and Segundo Navarrete (Movistar), “They are the ones with the most presence, maybe someone else, but among those is the fight. No surprises ”, he assured.
Round 6, queen stage
Without a day of “acclimatization”, The peloton climbs 2,000 meters above sea level to start this Sunday the fifth stage in Sangolquí, the previous stage closed on Tsáchila land. It will be the previous “hard part” of the test, the sixth day that will run on Monday.
“There is no problem in that change because cyclists are for sufferingBoth for the heat and flat and for the mountains, those who are not used to it will have a bad time, but those who we see as favorites do not, they are prepared, In addition, they will run like at home, they train there, they will be motivated by their people”Caicedo said.
The fifth stage is destined for Ibarra (138.7 kilometers), where will the stage reigns on monday, a section that goes to Tulcán, with 158.6 kilometers.
“It will be the strongest, with a final four kilometers uphill, there will be the potential of the favorites. This will be the stage that defines the classification ”, said the former national champion, linked to the coaching staff of the Best PC this year.
“That day is very hard, you go down to the Chota Valley, you go up to the Juncal, we go through El Playón de San Francisco where there are uncovered lands but the strongest will be on the ascent to La Estrellita, with four kilometers of cobblestones, which can wreak havoc on the group, “he said.
After the initial mastery of the Factory Team, Best PC showed their cards with trumps in the third and fourth stages, while Movistar maintained the general leadership for two days, a fight that start outlining favorites to issue 38 of the Cycling Tour to Ecuador. (D)
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