Steven Haro crowns the queen stage and is the new leader of the Vuelta al Ecuador | Other Sports | sports

It was a changing day, in climate and leadership, which in the end had as winner to Steven Haro, winner of the sixth stage of the Vuelta al Ecuador, the considered queen stage of the competition, which crowned the Carchense as the new general leader.

The platoon had sun, cold and rain; flat and high ground, between Ibarra and Tulcán, demands to the maximum that altered the classifications, especially the general one, to leave the yellow jersey to the Team Pichincha rider.

Haro completed the section with time 4 hours 54 minutes, followed by Byron Guamá and Anderson Paredes from Best PC, a squad that did a devastating job for their direct rivals, the riders of the Movistar Team Ecuador, who gave up the leadership awarded by Lenín Montenegro, who in addition to the lost time suffered a mishap on the route.

They succeeded several escape attempts in the first leg of the race, all controlled until the fight that opened for the flying goals, with Sebastián Novoa (Best PC) ahead and winner in the sections in Salinas and Ambuquí, all before taking protagonism Diego Montalvo, the combative of the day.

The Saitel corridor jumped from the group from kilometer 45 to take the lead and go on a solo adventure that led to him winning the mountain prize in Cunquer.

On a demanding climb Montalvo got ahead of a chasing batch of 10 runners, which had three of the Best PC, among them Byron Guamá, Anderson Paredes and Joel Fuertes, the strongest in the promotions decisive, in the end with a split squad.

Montalvo came to have an advantage of 3 minutes 40 seconds with the group of the bearer of the general leader, but the mountain prize, in Altos de Palestina, was the impulse that the runners took to catch up with the leader, who took the bonus of the stage, but lost the leadership of the test.

“I tried, I was looking to win but suffered in the end. I am proud of the effort made and of the team’s work, ”said Montalvo.

Guamá and Paredes came to command the race, which entered uncovered terrain for the descent to Playón de San Francisco (Sucumbíos), a site where the peloton caught up with the batch of runners who perform in the Vuelta a la Juventud, which completed its third stage, this Monday starting in San Gabriel.

The test went through Playa Alta, where the noise of the people animated the passage of the platoon, who took the road to return to Tulcán, with another change in the lead, with Joel Fuertes (Best PC) marking his step 4 minutes behind the group of the general leader.

The area that defined the stage was the ascent to Guagua Negro, 20 kilometers from the finish line, with Haro triumphant and headed alone to Tulcán. With his arms crossed, the imbabureño crossed the finish line, under heavy rain, which did not extinguish the festival of the national cycling capital, which endured the downpour to receive the peloton.

“I felt good, loose legs. The preparation has been silent, but with the confidence of having this day. Squad could be selected and although I did not know part of the route, I was careful to attack, just thinking about winning, “said Haro.

With your triumph, Haro took the yellow jersey, which he will have to defend this Tuesday on the return from Tulcán to Cayambe, before the final circuit in Quito. (D)