Local José Canastuj (Decorabaños) resisted just over five intense hours and conquered the second stage of the 62nd Cycling Tour of Guatemala, in its longest segment of 203 kilometers.
The 26-year-old cyclist won the third mountain prize in San José La Arada (First Category) and his legs managed to maintain the strength to take seven seconds off his close pursuers in a powerful final sprint.
Then the Ecuadorian veteran Byron Guamá (Movistar Best PC) and also Chapines Alder Torres (Muni Fraijanes) and Amílcar Méndez (A Quetzaltenango) entered.
The Guatemalan champion of the last two editions and large pre-competition favorite Mardoqueo Vásquez (Hino-One-Suzuki) arrived in the next peloton, seventh, 12 seconds behind the leader.
The Irishman Cormac McGeough (Canel’s Pro Ciclyng of Mexico), winner of the initial route, managed to pass this time in 20th place, two minutes and seven seconds behind the leader.
The Honduran Fredd Matute, who rides for his country’s team, as well as the nationals Luis Vásquez (Muni Fraijanes), Esdras Morales (Hino-One-Suzuki) and Henry Sam (Decorabaños) made up the dominating quartet of the first 120 kilometers.
However, in the third goal, Sam (Decorabaños) scored first, followed by the Costa Rican Sebastián Brenes (7C-Economy-Lacoinex) and the Mexican Ignacio Prado (Canels Pro Ciclyng).
Honduran Efrén Santos (Canels Pro Ciclyng) and locals Adolfo Vásquez (Hino-One-Suzuki) and Julio Ispaché (Decorabaños) escaped with 55 kilometers to go, but were finally caught up.
The young Ecuadorian Nixon Rosero (representative of his national team) now leads the individual general classification, while behind him, nine seconds behind him, is his teammate Stalin Fuentestar.
The Sunday day (third of the tour) offers a route of 119 kilometers from the department of Jutiapa, then El Progreso, until reaching Fraijanes, a municipality of this capital.
The largest Chapina sports festival includes 10 days of battle over 1,452 km in total, with 60 intermediate prizes, 30 mountain prizes and 30 flying goals.
The organizers will recognize the individual overall leader, best Guatemalan, leader in flying goals, mountain awards, regularity, under-23 champion and the stage winner.
In May 2019, the Ministry of Culture and Sports distinguished the Vuelta a Guatemala as Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Nation, for spreading joy to different populations.
Source: Agencia Prensa Latina