Movistar feasts in the Spanish National Championship ITT

Movistar Team topped the podium for third straight time on the Spanish National Championship ITT. In this occasion, Ion Izagirre was the winner in turn, with Jonathan Castroviejo securing a second position, Alejandro Valverde in third and Jesús Herrada in fourth to ensure no other team could get close to the medals today.

The race took place in Ibi, a modest town in Alicante well known because of its toy industry. Maybe as a wink to this, the race organizer Vicente Belda, former manager of the Kelme team, designed a playful course with rolling parts where some riders got to use a 56-teeth big ring and tough ones such as a fourth category climb which the riders had to face in the middle section of the effort. Several of the participants didn’t cope well with it and faded out of the competition after reaching its summit.

Mikel Landa, Sky’s Giro d’Italia leader turned Tour de France domestique after a gastroenteritis annihilated his options of getting a good result on the Italian race, was one of those who accused the climb in the second part of race. "I wasn’t able to get my rhythm back," he acknowledged while on the rollers right after finishing his participation.

The intention of Movistar Team of taking a clean swipe of the podium was clear from the starting list. The first rider to take part on the race today was Imanol Erviti, who duly set a fastest time that was beat minutes later by Jesús Herrada. The winner of the second stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné held the position till Izaguirre, Castroviejo and Valverde completed their effort to carry out the blue podium.

Not even Luis León Sánchez and Rubén Plaza could upset Movistar Team’s supremacy. Both were more than one minute shy of the podium. The rider of Astana, who has been Spanish time trial champion four times and is in great shape and looking forward to work for Fabio Aru in the upcoming Tour de France, was 5th. Meanwhile, the Orica-GreenEdge domestique, who was racing on his hometown, was 6th.

It is the second Spanish National title for Ion Izagirre after netting the road race one in Ponferrada 2014. The rider from Ormaitzegi, who recently scored a win on the longest time trial of the Tour de Suisse, stated he was "really willing to go for the win" and went to assure he has "the feeling that this one really is my best season in the pro scene".

Jonathan Castroviejo was even happier than his teammate Izaguirre. For him, this silver medal is the confirmation he has definitely recovered from the severe neck injury he suffered at the Volta ao Algarve last February, which forced him to wear a neck brace for two months. "It’s a real morale boost to be back on the podium after some very dark months," he said with notorious affection.

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