Mireia Benito surprises Paula Blasi and is proclaimed time trial champion

Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal) won the time trial title at the Spanish Cycling Championships, which are held in Sabiñánigo (Huesca) between June 25 and 28. Paula Blasi finished in fourth place. The cyclist Laia Puigdefabregas (Massi Baix Ter), for his part, reigned in the under-23 category.

Benito thus added his fourth consecutive trophy against the clock in the Nationals, ahead of Sara Martin (Movistar) and the elite Sandra Alonso (Eneicat-Becall), which surprised women like Paula Blasi either Paula Ostiz. The under-23 podium, for its part, was completed by Nahia Imaz and Goretti Sesma.

“I am very, very happy. This year there was a lot of level, every year it goes up. I didn’t have any times, I don’t like knowing other people’s times, I have the ‘pacing’ very clear in my head to go as fast as I could. If someone goes faster than me, then congratulations. At first I felt quite bad, but I controlled myself a lot, I didn’t want to start at full speed,” Benito explained to the RFEC.

The title against the clock was held, in the junior category, on the same route for men and women, which was also used for the under-23 and elite women’s event: 18.6 kilometers with the climb to Larrés as the highlight, near the end.

Ayala Serrano (Río Miera) made a difference in the under-23 category from the intermediate control, which he reached in 15 minutes and 50 seconds. Nahia Imaz (12 seconds) and Laia Puigdefabregas (a 15) were confident of closing differences in the second part of the test.

Serranothe first to cross the finish line, stopped the clock at 28:49. Imaz (Massi Baix Ter), more of a wheeler, was able to turn it around on arrival at the classification, finishing her attempt with 28:28. But the one who had the best time in the category was her teammate Puigdefábregas, with 28:17. Second place went to Imaz, and the podium was finally completed by Goretti Sesma (28:37).

“It has been about getting to know yourself and regulating yourself so that in the end you can push. It helped me that there was a headwind, it is something that makes the race tougher and I prefer it. It was a very complete journey, very different, and I touched all the fields a little,” he declared. Puigdefabregas to the RFEC.

The UCI elite, for their part, went through the intermediate control with a difference of just 39 seconds between Sara Martin (Movistar, 14:43) and Paula Ostiz (Movistar, 15:22). The UAE Paula Blasi (14:54) and Celia Towers (15:13) and AG Insurance broker Mireia Benedict (14:49) were among them.

In the second part of the test, again, there were many changes at the front. Mireia Benito, who had won the three previous national time trial championships, pulled out all the stops, showed the ability to regulate herself and came back to finish with the best time (25:59).

Second place went to Sara Martin (26:20), and the third went to the elite Sandra Alonso (Eneitcat-Becall, 26:26). Blasi (26:39) and Ostiz (27:14) they had to settle, respectively, for fourth and fifth place.

The competition, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, starts this Thursday with the dispute of time trials in all categories. On Friday it will be the turn of the junior route, both male and female; on Saturday, the men’s under-23 route and the women’s under-23 and elite route; and on Sunday, the culmination will be the elite men’s road race.