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World Tour Experience at the inaugural Gran Fondo La Nucía

Valverde, Sevilla, Bugno, Chiappucci and Van der Poel headline weekend cycling festival in Alicante with return of International Cycling Criterium and sold out Gran Fondo

Pablo Castrillo and Mathieu Van der Poel main protagonists at te Criterium

A hige peloton of 1,500 cyclists, including Alejandro Valverde, Óscar Sevilla, Gianni Bugno, and Claudio Chiappucci, faced the light rain last Sunday in La Nucía, Alicante, to participate in the inaugural Gran Fondo La Nucia. This event topped off a weekend of cycling festivities that began with a Criterium on Saturday, featuring Pablo Castrillo and Mathieu Van der Poel as the main attractions.

The first part of the criterium was a Points Race, where Vuelta sensation Pablo Castrillo took the win. The Spaniard narrowly edged out Van der Poel in an exciting photo finish. Castrillo, who won two stages in this season's Vuelta, secured a transfer to Movistar. In the second event, the Elimination Race, Van der Poel emerged victorious, with Castrillo quickly eliminated. Thus, the overall criterium title went to the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider.

The grand finale was a spectacle pitting several riders against a rally car. Van der Poel impressively triumphed in this contest. He wasn’t the only one, as Spanish cycling hero Alejandro Valverde also managed to beat the race car. While Van der Poel faced off against Loeb, Valverde’s opponent was six-time Spanish rally champion Miguel Foster. El Imbatido, or "The Unbeatable," showed that at 44 years old, he’s still got plenty of strength left.

Mathieu Van der Poel won the elimination race

Javier Castellar, the event's chief organizer, was elated. The 1,500 entries provided by the Podium Sports Group for this first cycling tour were sold out well in advance. Moreover, the comeback of his cherished International Cycling Criterium, after many years, was a triumph, meeting the expectations of newcomers and satisfying the nostalgia of those who remembered its previous editions in Valencia.

The day started early with a ribbon-cutting ceremony conducted by Castellar, La Nucía's Sports Councilor Sergio Villalba, and Pascual Momparler, the national road and cyclocross cycling coach. 'El Bala', Sevilla, Bugno, and 'El Diablo' led the large group for the initial stretch of the ride.

From that moment, as is customary in these non-competitive events, the primary goal—indeed, the sole aim—is for participants to relish the experience of cycling on roads free of traffic, with the only challenge being a personal one. Consequently, the riders divided into two groups: those opting for the shorter 77-kilometer route and those braving the more strenuous 170-kilometer journey.

Despite the nuisance of sporadic rain, which never threatened the day's festivities, the 1,500 cyclists assembled in La Nucía could emulate the great stars they admire in the top international races, courtesy of a course befitting a grand stage of La Vuelta (indeed, all the mountain passes covered that Sunday have featured in the Spanish tour at some time).

Immediately after setting off, they encountered the Alto de Finestrat (3rd category), a pivotal climb in the 1992 world circuit where Gianni Bugno secured his second rainbow jersey. With little respite, they then approached the renowned Port de Tudons (1st category), followed by the daunting loop that includes the ascent of the Alto de Confrides (3rd category) before embarking on the climb to the more manageable Alto de Guadalest (4th category).

This initial mountain segment (1,653 meters of cumulative elevation gain) marked the endpoint for those on the short route. Yet, the more seasoned riders still faced the challenge of ascending the Alto de Tárbena (1st category), the Port de Sa Creueta (4th category), and once more, Confrides and Guadalest, to achieve a total of 3,556 meters of elevation gain.

World Tour Experience at the inaugural Gran Fondo La Nucía

Enduring these climbs, the cycling enthusiasts could experience the rigor akin to a World Tour level race, and what's more, they had the privilege of riding alongside legends such as Óscar Sevilla, Gianni Bugno, Claudio Chiappucci, and, of course, Alejandro Valverde.

Paella Dreams