Mavi García claims historic fifth Spanish nationals road title at 39

Mavi García (Liv Racing TeqFind) (Image credit: Getty)

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Acclaimed Spanish veteran Mavi García has won her fifth Spanish National Road Race title, powering home alone for gold on the 122 kilometre course just west of Madrid.

The most successful women's racer in the history of the Spanish Nationals, after attacking alone 26 kilometres from the line, García’s latest win sees her add yet another gold medal to her four previous National Road Race titles and four National TT victories.

Garcia and bronze medallist Benito, both riding without any other teammates, opted to split the race apart after just 30 kilometres, leaving roughly two dozen riders in the front group. After 50 kilometres García accelerated away from the main group, followed by Benito, with Sara Martin and her Movistar teammate Sheyla Gutierrez making it a break of four ahead. Having missed the move, Laboral Kutxa drove hard behind, and García’s matching acceleration on hearing the gap was coming down saw Gutierrez in trouble.

Shortly after the Alto de la Cruz Verde climb, García made her decisive move, going clear alone. While Gutierrez was quickly dropped, Martín and Benito continued to drive behind, managing to keep the gap at roughly 30 seconds for much of the finale.

But García was clearly in no mood for company and a final drive on the uphill, cobbled finish into San Lorenzo allowed her to almost double her advantage. While García claimed her fifth Road Race title of her career and fourth in a row, first year pro. Eneritz Vadillo (Laboral Kutxa) clinched the U-23 title by finishing in eighth place - at 18, a result that promises more than well for the future.

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The Independent, The Guardian, ProCycling, The Express and Reuters.