Ilesic continues winning ways in Mexico

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Over 100 riders contested the sprint to win the Vuelta Mexico Telmex’s opening stage, however Team Type 1’s Ilo Ilesic showed he was the class sprinter as he took a comfortable win. The peloton faced headwinds, crosswinds and rugged roads during the flat 80 kilometre opening circuit race.

“The race was very nervous,” said Ilesic. “This is normal for the first day of any stage race. But there was never a situation that Team Type 1 could not control. We were not going to let anything slip of our hands.

“In the final lap we pretty much controlled the situation,” added Ilesic. “The guys really made it hard for the other teams to keep their positions, especially because of the crosswinds coming from the ocean.”

Rock Racing, entered in the event as an amateur team after failing to secure a UCI licence, proved Team Type 1’s biggest rivals in the final sprint. The team landed four of its riders inside the top 10, but Carlos Alzate could only pull of second place for the team, ahead of Canada’s Martin Gilbert (Spidertech-Planet Energy).

Team Type 1’s sport director Vassili Davidenko recalled a difficult day of racing. “Despite six flats due to the rough pavement, everything went according to our plan,” he said. “I knew all Aldo needed was for the team put him in the right spot. Aldo was unreachable at the finish line; it was a 100 percent team effort.”

The race’s second stage from Veracruz to Jalapa is one for the climbers, with the 108 km stage including a Category 2 King of the Mountains climb.

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