One more year we were present at the International Trophy City of Barcelona– IV Memorial Miquel Poblet.
As a scoring event for the classification of the Track world championship, it’s a good chance for athletes from around the world who wander, some for consecutive years, in the Catalan capital in search of UCI points.
The event took place under a threatening sky finally took a breath and turned into a pleasant evening at the Velodrome of Horta. The format was the usual in these events, a continuous coming and going of riders on the wood where it was mixed qualifying speed race (Sprint and Keirin), and different endurance races (Scratch, Elimination and Points).
This year the competition was accompanied by a Derny‘s show by Derny School. This race is performed behind a motorcycle of the same name. These motorcycles, which have traditionally been used in Keirin best known today, consist of combustion engine and pedal assistance. This makes them machines suitable for performing stable speed “motor –paced cycle”. The motorcycle sets the pace and allows speeds higher than normal, reaching 60km / h. It is only allowed to overtake rivals over the blue line which requires great effort. The sound of the engines of two-stroke combustion and the quaintness of these mechanical antiques put the curious note to the day.
Another point of the day to highlight was the delivery of two separate bouquets to both cyclists Helena Casas and Tania Calvo, in recognition of their participation in the Olympic Games in Rio held last August. It was a luxury to see these elite people from our country here.
We will to comment the races:
In the 200m qualifying, Tania Calvo flew in Barcelona’s oval, a few tenths of the record of this velodrome and followed by the Catalan Helena Casas. In the men category won with authority Francesco Ceci (highlight that he was an abundant name in the Trofeu one more year).
In the female Points race Anita Yvonn Stenberg from Norway, she offered an exhibition of cadence and good performance winning it. In the men one, a nice duel between Belgian and Portuguese with a special guest, Krisztian Lovassy from Hungary, who was very solid and great positioning and strategy to support mainly attacks from the Belgian couple, it was an amazing show!
In the final speed race Francesco Ceci won again in a disputed race in which his cousin Luca could not ride the last tiebreaker due to physical indisposition. In females, same than 200m race, a duel wheel to wheel between Tania and Helena.
In men scratch, the Belgian Moreno de Pauw was very strong during the race and won it finally. In the women one a brilliant Anita Yvonn Stenberg got it again.
In the men elimination race a fighter Felix English from Ireland managed to finish the last in the track. In the women category a new Anita’s exhibition from Norway (the most honoured cyclist on that day).
Finally, in women Keirin the Basque Tania Calvo, untreatable in speed and in male Francesco Ceci won the discipline from Japan in an exciting duel where we have to highlight the second position of Jaime Vega from Asturias (Spain).
