Portuguese cyclist Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar) won the Tour of Saudi Arabia this Friday after the fifth stage, won by Italian Simone Consonni (Cofidis).
To win his first stage race as an elite, Guerreiro finished the stage 16th, as part of the peloton, eight seconds ahead of Italy’s Davide Formolo (UAE Emirates) and nine seconds ahead of Colombia’s Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious).
The 2020 Giro’s ‘king of the mountain’ said he was “very happy” and thanked the team for the “great job” during the race, saying it is “very special” to win his first stage race as an elite, after the performances of the GP Liberty (2015) and the 2014 Volta a Portugal do Futuro, still as an under-23.
“In modern cycling it is very difficult to win races. Winning in the first race of the year is even more difficult. Thanks to Movistar, first year, first race, first win. It’s fantastic,” he said.
The final run “turned out to be something easy”, said the Portuguese, as there was no wind racing and even the gravel sector “was good, with some attacks, good for entertainment and some emotion”.
“The last kilometers were treacherous and technical, but we were safe at the front. I didn’t have the legs to get into the top 10, I tried to help Max anyway.” [Kanter], but there were many good sprinters. But finishing safe was the priority,” he said.
Regarding the goals of the season, Ruben Guerreiro says he is betting heavily on his first year at Movistar, believing he is rejuvenated.
“I’m 28 years old, but I feel like I’ve been born again, I feel like I’m 20. I’ve had a lot of injuries in the past, but I managed to be here. I’m stronger than ever. ” and I have big goals,” he assumed.
The final stage of the Tour of Saudi Arabia, a 142.9 kilometer link between the Old City of AlUla and Maraya, was won by Consonni, in 3:10:13, the same time as Italy’s Matteo Malucelli (Bingoal WB) and Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla), second and third respectively.
This is the third presence of a Portuguese on the podium in the last three editions of the Tour of Saudi Arabia, after Rui Costa, then in the UAE Emirates, third in 2020 and 2022 – there was no race in 2021.
In addition to the overall victory in Saudi Arabia, the cyclist from Pegões Velhos, in Montijo, has four victories as an elite, after winning the fourth stage of the Saudi competition, the 2017 National, the ninth stage of the 2020 Tour of Italy, in which the mountain classification was won, and the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge in 2022.
The other Portuguese in the race, Ivo Oliveira, also took the podium, as part of the best team in the Saudi race, UAE Emirates, finishing the Tour of Saudi Arabia in 68th place, 17.40 minutes behind his compatriot.
Source: DN
