Rock Racing will return to pavement in Chihuahua, Mexico
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Elite men's podium for the Spanish marathon championship(Image credit: Ocisport)
Francisco Mancebo wins the men's Spanish marathon title(Image credit: Ocisport)
Road racer Francisco Mancebo proved that he is also fast offroad by winning the Spanish marathon national championships, with over 1,700 participants, in Cordoba on Sunday. The Spaniard, who races on the road for Rock Racing, raced his mountain bike for 85km to claim the national title.
Mancebo finished in a time of 3:17:53, 1:13 ahead of runner-up Marc Trayter (Commençal-Northwave) and 3:44 fellow road racer Adolfo García (Dr. Bike). The three escaped together early in the race. Trayter hung with Mancebo the longest, but eventually fell back, leaving Mancebo to win solo.
"I can't complain about my year, but I want to finish the season and then have a rest," said Mancebo after his victory.
The 33-year-old Rock Racing rider will return to the pavement after just a short break. He travels Friday to Chihuahua, Mexico, where he will be seeking his third consecutive win in the Vuelta Ciclista Chihuahua Internacional, a 2.1 UCI-categorized race.
"After Chihuahua, the team plans to race at the Critérium of Cancun on the 14th. Then it'll be a good time, and I'll be in a good place to start my holiday," he said.
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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
