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Red Hook Crit Barcelona No.4
Last year Barcelona already showed that it is one of the events preferred by the RHC Series riders, but without a doubt, this year has been consolidated as such. The wonderful weather, the beach, the splendid roads for riding only a few minutes of the city, and the good environment breathes during the #critweek make Barcelona be the perfect place to welcome one of the Red Hook Crit races.
The Track Day in the Velodrom d’Horta Miquel Poblet already is a usual appointment to which nobody wants to miss. A day in which the participants of the RHC Barcelona have the opportunity of riding in these magnificent Olympic facility by the hand of the Pista Barcelona club and sponsored by My Beautiful Parking, as novelty of this year.
Another event of required assistance is the great Welcome Party organized by the homies of Dosnoventa in their Headquarter. It was a party with its home mark, free beer, good music and bikes everywhere. In fact, this year the assistance was so amazing that the street was completely crowded reaching to block the cross and, accordingly, the visit of our dear friends, the police.
RACE DAY
With a recorded assistance (350 riders from 34 different nationalities) and a redesigned layout was introduced the fourth edition of the Red Hook Crit Barcelona.
A very fast circuit of 1.155m, less technical than in years earlier but, not by it, easier, and as novelty, the path was performed anticlockwise.
Open Session & Qualify
The open session that the Organization has launched this year was brilliant for the riders. They could make recognition of the circuit, familiarize with the curves and see which gear combination will be the more suitable for perform the classification and the race; it was a great help to try to reach a good result during the day.
A total of seven groups completed the men qualify and one group the women one which was composed of 52 women.
In the men case, we could see a rush classification in which we could find 25 riders riding in a same second and with just tenth of difference.
Last Chance Race
If there was an indicative for contrast the increase of level that we could see this year regarding others editions was, undoubtedly, the starting grill of the Last Chance Race. Names like Kyle Murphy (Mash SF), Jeremy Santucci (Chari&Co), Nicholas Varani (LaClassica) or Marco Cecchinato (Bahumer), between others, that until very little they were usual at the final, in this occasion they had to fight with others many for trying to be in the star race of the night.
The pace of the race was amazing fast, many confessed at the end that was a real end. There were several escape attempts for breaking the main group and a real fight to be in the 10 first positions. Highlight a brilliant performance of the riders of POLOANDBIKE, Mario Junquera and Pablo Suarez, who did a great race and got the first and second position (successively), followed by Jeremy Borden from the Dosnoventa Attaquer Team.
Women’s Race
Many of us discovered Rachele Barbieri in this edition. She is a young Italian of so only 19 years who is a real beast on the bike and won a great number of important competitions of international level.
So, without the assistance of the British, Dani King, and the incorporation of Rachele to the registration list together with the already usual Ainara Elbusto, Jasmine Dotti, Ash Duban, etc. It promised an amazing women final.
From the outset, Ainara, who obtained the best time of the classification, led the Group of head and not removing eye of their opponents. There were constant rhythm changes and many riders wanting to break the group. We could see some attempts to escape, but they were quickly neutralized by the “heads” of the group.
Highlight the great performance of Ana Usabiaga (POLOANDBIKE), Carla Nafría (8bar Team) and Virginia Cancellieri (Ird Carrera Squadra Corse), who did a spectacular race, fighting for the top positions and leading in many cases the head of the bunch. Francisca Campos (RAW Santafixie Team), who also did a great race, has been affected by the constant changes of rhythm and by the wrong gear combination choice that prevented keep until the end her position in the main bunch. Although she provided a great show to the public who curve after curve were shouting the name of the Chilean rider.
Finally, the winners were decided in the last lap with victory of Rachele Barbieri (Ird Carrera Squadra Corse), Ana Usabiaga (POLOANDBIKE) and Jasmine Dotti (Ridewill Oscar Cycling).
Men’s Race
After the races lived just a few hours ago, the men final with many two-wheels Titans, promised to be incredible.
The top positions in the starting line were for the fastest of the qualify: the American, Colin Strickland from Specialized Allez-Allez , followed by Augusto Reati from Supernova Factory Team and another great one such as Addison Zawada from the State Bicycle Co.
After the endless counting down from Mr.Trimble, the race began with a high speed.
The public was totally perplexed to see the speed that the riders traced the curves and on the other areas of the circuit. A real madness!
We could see an authentic fight to defend the head race positions and attempts of escape frustrated by riders as Mario Paz Duke who was one of those responsible of keeping an united Group and neutralize the intentions of more than one.
Highlight the great performance of Mario Junquera who after getting the victory in the Last Chance Race and, starting from the last rows of the grill, he reached the race head and fought for the first positions together with his brother Luís Junquera, and his team mate Gonzalo Andres, all of the POLOANDBIKE team.
On the other hand, also we saw a real show from Evan Murphy (Mash SF) and Tristan Uhl (Aventon Factory Team), who surprised the bunch with some that another escapes and also neutralized some from the Allez-Allez Specialized in others many.
The end result was resolved on the last lap with a new victory of the Texan, Colin Strickland, followed by Tristan Uhl and Aldo Ino Ilesic.
