Marti Gispert (ECP-TAU Ceramica) (Image credit: Eduard Aguilera)
At the Spanish Cup round two held last Sunday in Sant Gregori, Girona, Spain, the ECP-TAU Cerámica team assumed overall leadership of the series after a strong performance by Martí Gispert, who finished second behind Juan Pedro Trujillo (Cemelorca-Seguros10.Com).
The week previous at the Swisspower Cup in Buchs, Gispert didn't fare so well, but he wanted to show his form was heading in the right direction. At Sant Gregori, he managed to keep the pace with the fastest riders and went to the front for the final two laps. It was not enough to win the race, but he finished second and jumped into the leadership role for the national series.
"I didn't have a good start. It took me some kilometers to get the pace and it was already late to close the gap that Trujillo had over me," said Gispert. "But, as kilometers went by, I started feeling better and my legs started to work. Alejandro Díaz [De La Peña López (C.C.Tierra De Barros-Specialized)] and myself could leave the rest of the riders and tried to catch Trujillo, but it was not possible. I was able to open a gap in one of the downhill sections of the last lap and arrive alone to the finish line."
"I am happy to be leading the series, but also happy for the sensation I have had in the second part of the race."
One Gispert's team-mates struggled in the Spanish race, but still ended up fifth. On the final lap, Marc Trayter suffered a problem with his eye. "I don't know what happened but I lost the vision in one of my eyes. I was a little bit worried, as I got surgery a couple of years ago. But it seems that luckily it has nothing to do with that."
Margarita Fullana Riera (Massi-Illes Balears) won the women's race ahead of Anna Villar Argente (Massi) and Ruth Moll Marques (Toscaf BH Suntour).
