Oier Lazkano goes solo for gold in Spanish Road Championships

Movistar’s Oier Lazkano has claimed a narrow solo victory in the Spanish Road Championships on an ultra-hilly course west of Madrid.

After attacking on the last climb, Lazkano crossed the line six seconds ahead of Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) who outsprinted Lazkano’s Movistar teammate Alex Aranburu to take the silver.

In a race which split apart on the series of hills before the finish at San Lorenzo de El Escorial, former Spanish national champion Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) finished fourth, 10 seconds back.

Movistar worked hard to keep top favourite Juan Ayuso under control, before Lazkano went clear late in the day for the biggest win of his career.

Lazkano, 23, already claimed silver in the Nationals earlier this week, with his most notable previous result this season when he outpowered many of the favourites to finish second in Dwars Door Vlaanderen behind Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma).

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To claim the win in Spain, the Basque racer went clear 26 kilometres from home and despite struggling a little on a day of intense heat and with more than 3,000 metres of vertical climbing, managed to stay away to the line.

“Anyone in the team could have won,” Lazkano said after claiming Movistar’s first  Spanish national champion’s jersey in four years, “but it ended up being me.”

“I got cramps at the end and I wanted to win just so I could stop hurting so much. For me and for the team, this has been a very special triumph.”

With 11 riders in the field and at a clear numerical advantage, Movistar played their cards well, first sending Carlos Verona, then Gonzalo Serrano and Gorka Izagirre up the road in the early segment of the race.

Lazkano bridged across to the group and then attacked in the tough final segment of the race, while his teammates kept a tight grip on pre-race favourite Ayuso. When Ayuso finally broke clear, he had Aranburu and Herrada for company and although able to claim the silver in a two-up sprint, the gold was already out of reach. 

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