Sao Paulo – Despite having suffered a fall on the route, the Brazilian Otávio Augusto Gonzeli brought the second gold to his delegation in the Pan American Road Cycling Championship, by dominating the race for under 23 riders, disputed in a beautiful route of 159.4 kilometers in the beautiful town of Sao José dos Campos.
Otávio completed the course on local roads with a time of 2: 24. 02 hours, followed by Colombian Jaider Muñoz Restrepo and Mexican José Ramón Muñiz Vázquez, all with the same time. Brazil now has two gold medals and two bronze medals.
In the second endurance challenge of the Pan American, the men’s U23 athletes took on some of the state’s main highways. The peloton remained compact for most of the course, with a breakaway in the final stretch. The fierce competition continued until crossing the finish line, with the advantage going to the Brazilian in the photo finish.
“I had a crash in the first few kilometers, but since I only had bruises, I knew it wouldn’t compromise my race. I was very focused and determined to win. In the last kilometers, I ended up suffering from intense cramps and I had to manage them carefully,” admitted the young monarch, who was crying with emotion on the podium.
“But I didn’t let anything affect my concentration. It’s an indescribable feeling that I wish everyone could experience. I take this opportunity to thank my teammates, this title belongs to everyone,” said the Pan American endurance champion in the under-23 category.
The president of the Brazilian Cycling Confederation, José Luiz Vasconcellos, highlighted the good work done by the coaches of the Brazilian team. “This shows that the team was very well assembled to win here. Congratulations to the coaches who selected athletes of great quality and to the athletes. This makes it clear that we are on the right track”, he said.
This Saturday, it will be the Elite women’s turn to face the endurance race. The girls will run 111.3 kilometers, starting and finishing in the arena installed in Via Cambuí, in front of Humanitas School. The start is scheduled for 9 am.
So far, 11 countries are in the medal table of the Pan American Championship, with only two races left to be held. Colombia is ahead (4-2-1), followed by Brazil (2-0-2), Chile (1-1-1), United States (1-1-0), Ecuador (0-2-0), Bermuda and Panama (0-1-0), Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela and Mexico (0-0-1).
Campeonato Panamericano de Ruta – Prueba de Fondo (Categoría Sub-23)
São José dos Campos – São José dos Campos (159,4 km)
| 1 | Otavio Augusto Gonzeli | Brasil | 3:24:02 |
| 2 | Jaider Muñoz | Colombia | ,, |
| 3 | José Ramón Muñiz | México | ,, |
| 4 | David Rico | México | 0:01 |
| 5 | Donovan Ramírez | Costa Rica | 0:05 |
| 6 | Cesar Macias | México | 0:13 |
| 7 | José Manuel Aramayo | Bolivia | ,, |
| 8 | Carlos Sebastián Acuña | Paraguay | ,, |
| 9 | Vinicius Da Silva | Brasil | ,, |
| 10 | Jonathan Guatibonza | Colombia | ,, |