Venezuelan cyclist Luis Mora, of the Ángeles Hernández Foundation team, won Saturday the seventh and penultimate stage of the Tour of Táchira, which continues to be led by Ecuadorian Jonathan Caicedo, of the Mexican Petrolike.
The day consisted of a challenging stretch of 140.9 kilometers that included the Colombian city of Cúcuta, on the border with Venezuela, which today’s winner rode in a time of 3 hours 56 minutes and 34 seconds.
After the winner, the Venezuelans Enmanuel Viloria, from Lotería del Táchira, and Daniel Abreu, from Camimpeg Carbomat, came second and third, respectively.
The breakaway of the day was led by Colombian Diego Andrés Benavides (Avinal-El Carmen de Viboral-Vicman Bikes), who was accompanied by Luis Mora (Team Fundación Ángeles Hernández), Reinaldo Arocha (La Guaira Bandes), Neftali Josué Jiménez (Uptaiet-Inversiones Alexander), Enmanuel Viloria (Lotería del Táchira), Fernando Briceño (Team La Guacamaya-Indet Trujillo), Brayan Revete (Venezuela País Futuro), Isaac Yaguaro (Selección de Venezuela), Julio Blanco (Team La Guacamaya-Indet Trujillo) and Daniel Abreu (Camimpeg Carbomat).
Gradually, the breakaway disintegrated and only three riders remained in the lead. In the closing, he decided to launch an attack that was only answered by Enmanuel Viloria (Lotería del Táchira) and Daniel Abreu (Camimpeg Carbomat). The three of them climbed together the last kilometers looking for the Cerro del Cristo.
Speaking to journalists, Mora thanked his team for the confidence “from day one” and said he cried from happiness. “I always wanted to win and never could,” said the winner.
For his part, Caicedo said that Saturday’s ride was “very difficult” and “very hard”, and he felt that “he almost left his life there. Until it’s over, it’s not over. We hope that tomorrow we have all the luck in the world, that no mishap happens,” added the leader.
In the 59th edition of the competition, the organizers will maintain the novelties incorporated in 2023, of a route that crosses Cúcuta and a women’s classic on Sunday, when the so-called queen race of South American cycling will finish.
The governor of Táchira, Freddy Bernal, announced that, for the next edition, the authorities are evaluating the possibility of extending the competition to the Colombian municipality of Pamplona, as well as the possibility of inviting teams from Russia and China.
Stage 7 | Ureña – Cerro del Cristo (140,9 km)
| 1 | Luis Mora | Fundacion Angeles Hernandez | 3:56:34 |
| 2 | Enmanuel Viloria | Lotería del Táchira | 0:11 |
| 3 | Daniel Abreu | Camimpeg-Carbomart DT | 0:32 |
| 4 | Juan Ruiz | Gob.Trujillo | 1:42 |
| 5 | Nelson Camargo | Gob.Trujillo | 1:44 |
General Ranking
| 1 | Jonathan Caicedo *Ecuador | Forte Petrolike – Androni Giocattoli | 22:58:12 |
| 2 | Juan José Ruiz | Gob. Trujillo Orbea | 0:28 |
| 3 | Nelson Camargo | Gob. Trujillo Orbea | 0:59 |
| 4 | Luis Pinto | Team MM Mutraining | 1:21 |
| 5 | Yonathan Monsalve | Selec Vzla Osorio G Triple Gordo | 2:09 |