This Saturday, Costa Rican Pablo Luis Mudarra (BCT – Arroz Ezio – Team Montoya) was the winner of the first stage of the Vuelta a Costa Rica 2023, which was held between the province of Heredia and the district of Cañas over a distance of 151, 5 kilometers.
In the end, Mudarra was the strongest in the break ahead of his compatriots: Sergio Arias (Colono Bikestation Kölbi) and Francisco Rojas (7C – Economy – Lacoinex), second and third, respectively. In this way, Mudarra wears his fourth jersey as general leader. He got the first one in 2011 and the others during 2016.
Once the fraction was over, the Central American rider gave his impressions after the victory. “First of all, thank God who gave me the strength, at first I didn’t feel good, but thank goodness the strength came and I felt very strong in the end to take the victory. We hope that the forces continue.”
The fifty-seventh edition of the Vuelta a Costa Rica Telecable 2023 began with a group made up of 77 riders representing eleven teams: seven national and four foreign.
From the first kilometer, Real Estelí from Nicaragua began the skirmishes with Jefersson Jerez and continued them with his teammate Larry Valle, which officially opened the dispute for the mountain prizes. Valle took first place in Altos de Naranjo (3rd), beating Pablo Caicedo (Movistar Best PC), Fredy Toc (Guatemala National Team) and Marco Solís (Coffe Exper-Repuestos Mena-Volcano). The duel was repeated in Alto de Santiago (3rd), where the Ecuadorian from Movistar Best PC emerged as the winner.
The descent of Cambronero opened a new battle for the Flying Metas, with the firm intention of Distribuidora Cruz-Tecnoforest-Atomica-Trama Sport to go for the lead, taking over the passage through Esparza with Marcos Sánchez and getting involved again in the escape with John Jiménez, who took over the two passes available in Sardinal and Cruce de Limonal.
The escape of the day was carried out by the Ecuadorian Pablo Caicedo (Movistar Best PC), the Costa Rican Josué Salas (Colono Bikestation Kölbi) and the Dutchman Tom Wijfje (Universe Cycling Team), but in the last kilometers they were neutralized.
This Sunday the second stage of the Costa Rican round will be held, starting in the municipality of Cañas and ending in the city of Liberia, on a route of 160.5 kilometers, on mostly flat terrain.
The successor of Colombian Marco Tulio Suesca, last year’s champion, will be known on Sunday, December 25 in La Aurora (Costa Rica).
Source: Revista Mundo Ciclístico y www.crciclismo.com