The Spanish David Valero (Klimatiza Orbea Team) has won the UCI XCM World Cup Hero Naturland Andorra. The Granadian biker secured victory after controlling the wheel and launching a final attack that dropped Leo Paez. He completed the course in 2:57:45, marking his first triumph in the UCI XCM World Cup.
The Andorran event, held on the demanding trails and tracks of Sant Julià de Lòria, brought together some of the top international specialists in XCM. Valero once again demonstrated his ability to perform at his best in long-distance and high-elevation races, dominating a race that consisted of 3 laps on a 21 km circuit, where Valero was leading throughout to launch a definitive final attack that allowed him to open a sufficient gap with former world champion Leo Paez, crossing the finish line with more than 15 seconds to spare.
Héctor Leonardo Páez (Lee Cougan Basso Factory Team) finished 15 seconds behind the Spaniard, and the Mexican José Gerardo Ulloa completed the podium at 2:20.
The Klimatiza Orbea Team also had an outstanding performance by placing four riders in the top 10. Along with Valero’s victory, Luis Francisco Pérez finished sixth, Samuele Porro was seventh, and José Dias finished ninth, confirming the collective dominance of the Spanish team in the Andorran event.
Top 10 Men
1. David Valero Serrano (Klimatiza Orbea Team) – 2:57:45
2. Héctor Leonardo Páez (Lee Cougan Basso Factory Team) – +15 s
3. José Gerardo Ulloa – +2:20
4. Martin Fanger – +2:27
5. Casey South (Torpado Kenda FSA) – +2:29
6. Luis Francisco Pérez Martínez (Klimatiza Orbea Team) – +2:29
7. Samuele Porro (Klimatiza Orbea Team) – +2:32
8. Alessio Agostinelli (Lee Cougan Basso Factory Team) – +3:04
9. José Dias (Klimatiza Orbea Team) – +3:14
10. Dario Cherchi (Lee Cougan Basso Factory Team) – +3:37
In the women’s classification, the victory went to Austrian Anna Weinbeer (KTM Spada Powered by Brenta Brakes), who completed the race in 3:34:08. Natalia Fischer, from the Extremadura Ecopilas UCI MTB Team, narrowly missed victory, finishing second less than a minute behind the winner. Italian Claudia Peretti closed the podium.
Top 5 Women
1. Anna Weinbeer (KTM Spada Powered by Brenta Brakes) – 3:34:08
2. Natalia Fischer Egusquiza (Extremadura Ecopilas UCI MTB Team) – 3:35:00
3. Claudia Peretti (Olympia Factory Team) – 3:36:08
4. Paula Gorycka-Kurmann – 3:37:03
5. Rosa van Doorn – 3:37:44
The Hero UCI Marathon World Cup will continue to solidify the battle for the overall standings after the events held in Calpe, Capoliveri, and now Andorra, where David Valero has made a significant impact in the overall standings after his third podium in Costa Blanca and a 14th position in Capoliveri. The next event will be on June 13 in Selva Val Gardena, Italy.