• Cycling Alex Aranburu revitalizes Spanish cycling with his victory in Sestao
  • Cycling Primoz Roglic denies glory to Alex Aramburu in the first stage of the Vuelta a España

"I'm going without complexes, without pressure. I'm going to look for my chance in a World Cup that will be very hard, but whose route adapts to my characteristics, "warns the Gipuzkoan Alex Aranburu (Ezkio, 1995), moments after finishing the massage session at the concentration hotel of the Spanish team in Stirling, near Glasgow, home of the strangest cycling World Cup. Traditionally, this championship is held at the end of September, after the conclusion of the Vuelta, but this year the UCI decided that the track and road World Championships coincided in dates (from last Thursday until the next day 13) and place (Scotland).

This Sunday the online test is held, in which Aranburu, after the absences of the injured Oier Lazkano starts as head of the ranks of Spain. The classicist will be accompanied by Iván García Cortina, Gonzalo Serrano, Ion Izagirre, Jesús Herrada, Jesús Ezquerra, Roger Adriá and Mikel Azparren. In the list of coach Pascual Momparler do not include, among others, Juan Ayuso, Pello Bilbao and Carlos Rodríguez.

Aranburu faces his second season at Movistar, training that hired him as a stage hunter, a specialty of enormous competition. In the jungle of the peloton threaten sprinters, ramp sprinters, escape experts and rollers of overwhelming power. The Basque has tanned in a hostile habitat and has learned to withstand pressure. In the past year, the squad of Eusebio Unzué required him to capture points to escape the burdens of relegation. He scored the Tour de Limousin, made top 20 in Milan-San Remo, Flanders and Amstel, finished third in the Boucles de la Mayenne and in the Spanish Road Championship and was second, after Julian Alaphilipppe, in the first stage of the Tour de Wallonia, with a finish at the Wall of Huy. He was seventh in the San Sebastian Classic last July.

Now the Basque, exhibits gallons like never before. "It will be a very difficult race to control. The 14-kilometer circuit is tricky, with several climbs, narrow roads and 90-degree curves. I don't know what will happen, but as it rains we don't finish more than 30," says Aranburu, who in his childhood looked at the Izagirre brothers and who dreams of conquering the classic Milan-San Remo and the Amstel Gold Race.

The podium options of the Spanish team on this Sunday are scarce and go through putting a rider in a breakaway and solving the challenge with cunning in a reduced arrival. The test consists of 271 kilometers and a broken route. The appointment will be decided on a 14-kilometer street circuit, which will be given 10 laps. The key could be found in Montrose Street, a climb of 200 meters, at 8% of altitude, very close to the goal.

"Aranburu is explosive, the layout is going well and if it rains his options increase. In recent years he has worked hard and deserves an award," says Momparler. The second choice of the coach is Iván García Cortina.

"After finishing the Tour I thought I was going to be more tired, but now I feel good. I'm looking forward to it, but I know it will be difficult to achieve anything positive. There will be breakaways and we will have to be very attentive and well positioned, "warns Aranburu, who trained in cyclocross and admires Peter Sagan and Van Avermaet.

After the golden age of Spain in the World Championships, with Óscar Freire, Igor Astarloa, Purito Rodríguez or Alejandro Valverde, Spain has not won medals for five years, the last one, the Bala gold in Innsbruck. Getting on the podium in Glasgow is a major challenge, due to the high quality of the rivals. In Scotland will meet, among others, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, who wants to pay tribute after losing to Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour; and the Belgian Remco Evenepoel, who defends his title after showing himself in the classic of San Sebastian. Other contenders for the rainbow jersey are France's Alaphilippe (champion in 2020 and 2021), Dutchman Mathiew van der Poel, Belgium's Wout van Aert, Denmark's Mad Pedersen and Denmark's Kasper Asgreen. Extensive and valuable payroll.

  • Goal
  • Tadej Pogacar

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