The departure of the platoon. /
Thousands of people bet on the final ascent to cheer on the Vuelta peloton
Laguardia, the town that is always full in summer, wondered this Tuesday how so many people could have entered. The answer is that it was the town that opened up to the world. Thousands of people cheered the cyclists on Tuesday during the last kilometer. It did not matter all the inconveniences that the test generated for the life of the town. “It’s worth it,” assured a second Miren Lizaranzu without hesitation, sitting in a wicker chair next to her two daughters, Nerea and Naia Pérez and her mother Ana Teresa Amestoy. At the gates of her house, barely a hundred meters from the finish line, the sidewalks were abuzz with people. The 34 degrees in the sun and the limited space caused a Colombian follower to faint a little. But he did not go to majors. They are delighted despite not being great cycling fans. “Today I like it better,” the lady was proud.
The occasion was well deserved. Laguardia hosted for the first time in history the finish line of a stage of the Vuelta. With the economic effort that this entails for a town of just 1,454 inhabitants, paid for with the help of the Provincial Council, and above all logistics for a walled town built on top of a hill. The car parks, most of them reserved by the organization, were not enough, but there were hardly any rows of cars parked in the gutters on the outskirts of the town, for which the municipality approved with flying colours. “Since Monday morning, another atmosphere was seen, a special color,” pointed out the residents of Laguardia,
Illusion of young and old
“For us it is a pride. Not only because of the people who have come and what it will mean for tourism, but because of what is to come. The Vuelta is seen by everyone, in many countries, and publicizing the territory with an event like this I think will be very positive for the future”, reflected Lizaranzu a few minutes after the name of Rogliç was forever linked to that of the town .
Its vineyards and wineries were perfectly reflected on the screen since the cyclists appeared on the balcony of the Rioja Alavesa. This was also witnessed in the first person by the Valencian, from Oliva, Antoni Ribera and his Ecuadorian wife Yiglia Mendoza, who are staying in a rural house in Laguardia for five days with the family of his friend Rafael Sendra. «We already wanted to come, but this opportunity is unbeatable. In the morning, we have gone up and down Herrera and everything seems spectacular to me. What a great atmosphere!”, the olivense hallucinated in the last 200 meters. He had been betting on the curve for 4 hours knowing that it was the key point and he was not wrong. Although his prognosis was different. “Alaphilippe has to do something now.” His wife can still maintain her trust in Carapaz.
There were quite a few fans of the world champion despite the supremacy of Colombian and Ecuadorian flags and orange tide shirts. The Frenchman is the idol of Justin Bommaventure, a 6-year-old boy born in Orthez who convinced his parents to end their vacation on the peninsula cheering on Alaphilippe. “He has now started cycling and is very excited,” explained Maelle, his mother. An illusion that also gave off the eyes of Camille, the little one.
And it is that cycling, like any other passion, does not understand age. There were few more radiant faces among the crowd than that of José Vera, a Valencian (from Beneixama) from Athletic who today, on his 80th birthday, will visit the new San Mamés. His two biggest hobbies come together there. “I also like to run. I did the New York Marathon in ’99 », he proudly propagated. Together with his family, they left satisfied with the performance of their compatriot Joan Bou (Euskaltel), the new leader of the mountain.
At the exit of Mendizabala another enthusiastic veteran was seen. Cipriano Borrego, an autograph hunter from Vitoria on the verge of retirement. “I have been unemployed for 15 years and it has allowed me to follow the races more and start with the signatures,” he expressed. He is a regular on the national calendar, always with a folder under his arm in which he carries the images on which each cyclist -he knows them all- stamps his signature. His work reaped more fruits than during the rest day, but he is just as satisfied as every person from Alava who has enjoyed the Vuelta at his doorstep.