Cuba/Argentina/Curacao/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Uganda/Bulgaria
National Championships
Road Race
6 countries come together for an NC in the mountains. 11 of the 21 pro riders are from Cuba or Bulgaria so not a lot of competition in the other 4 countries.
Odd these countries elected a mountainous course since the only true climber on the start list is Schleck. All 3 riders from Curacao ride for Carlsberg and both Bosnians ride for Cedevita, so the team leaders seem like the obvious winners – those are Sulvaran and Selimovic.
Just under 11k to climb and 5 riders are 47 seconds clear. Schleck is here but so is Ssabagwanya, the Grieg man isn’t going to give this one away easily. Sulvaran has asserted himself as the top Curaçaoan. Lilovski and Tivani are the other two, it will be an upset of those two hang on to take their titles.
7.7k to go, Schleck attacks and gets a gap on his remaining 3 companions. Tivani having been dropped a while back. Next group on the road is 23 seconds back and includes Robov, Selimovic, Kolev, and Diaz Suarez. The 3 Argentinians are together another 48 seconds back.
5k banner Ssabagwanya is just 12 seconds down on Schleck. Another 18 seconds behind Robov has bridged up and is with Lilovski and Sulvaran. Further back Gaday has separated himself from the other two Argentinians.
2.5k to go Schleck seems to have cracked his rival who is now 44 seconds behind him. Robov has dropped Lilovski and looks good for the Bulgarian title. Sulvaran and Selimovic also looks safe. After work from his teammate Perez, Delgado Gonzales is trying to close a one-minute gap on Diaz Suarez. Tivani hasn’t given up on rejoining Gaday, he is just 11 seconds down.
Tivani has cracked and Gaday looks good for the Argentina jersey. The only contest left is for Cuba where Delgado Gonzales has closed the gap on his rival to 20 seconds with 2k to ride (Diaz Suarez rides for Spark but has disguised himself as an EKOI rider).
Schleck wins the race and the Ugandan title. Robov will be 3rd and the Bulgarian champion, Sulvaran 4th, and the champion of Curaçao, and Selimovic 5th, and the champion of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Delgado Gonzalez never gets closer than 20 seconds and Diaz Suarez takes the Cuban title.
Gaday finishes 10th and will wear the Argentina jersey next year.
Results
1
Jordan Schleck (UGA)
Spark Team NZ
1h48'21
2
Samuel Ssabagwanya
Grieg-Maersk
+ 1'36
3
Momchil Robov (BUL)
Genii Hyundai N Cycling
+ 1'49
4
Gyasi Sulvaran (CUR)
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
+ 2'15
5
Husein Selimovic (BIH)
Cedevita
+ 2'34
6
Yoan Kolev
Assa Abloy
+ 2'52
7
Andy Alihonay Diaz Suarez (CUB)
Spark Team NZ
+ 3'21
8
Ricardo Delgado Gonzales
Podium Ambition
+ 3'38
9
Dobrin Lilovski
Air New Zealand-Alfa Romeo
+ 4'04
10
Lucas Manuel Gaday (ARG)
ZARA - Irizar
s.t.
11
Aleks Bechkov
Llapi-Vita
+ 5'04
12
Valentin Stoenchev
Genii Hyundai N Cycling
s.t.
13
Fausto Agustin Gomez
Minions
s.t.
14
German Nicolas Tivani
SEE Turtles
+ 5'23
15
Jeremias Arenas Rodriguez
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
+ 5'32
16
Ivan Siric
Cedevita
+ 5'48
17
Cristian Perez
Podium Ambition
s.t.
18
Leandro Marcos
SEE Turtles 2
+ 6'31
19
Gian Carlos Hernandez Moran
Podium Ambition
+ 8'37
20
Goldwijnn Cannister
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
+ 8'51
21
Iliyan Kolev
Trans Looney Tunes
+ 14'47
Time Trial
Not expecting many tight races in the TT, although the two Ugandans are both among the worst TTers in the entire peloton so one of them can become perhaps the slowest national champion in the world.
Ssabagwanya wins the Ugandan titled by 1’10 despite putting up the 2nd slowest time in the race.
Siric goes 1’51 faster than his teammate Selimovic to win the Bosnian title.
Gomez wins the Argentinian titled as a neo-pro, a lot more of these could be in his future.
Sulvaran completes the double by beating Cannister by 2’38.
Stoenchev can just see Kolev in the distance as he passes the 1k banner.
He finishes 49 seconds faster to take the Bulgarian title.
