The 12th edition of the cycling event was attended by more than 2,000 people and a special guest, the former cyclist Joaquim “Purito” Rodríguez, winner of stages in the three big races: Vuelta, Giro and Tour.
The last weekend of September is for cycling lovers a date that stands out in their calendar. After twelve editions, the cycling event that is named after the organizer – the legendary former professional cyclist Alberto Contador – has become a consolidated event that attracts thousands of fans year after year.
This 2023 Gran Fondo, held on Saturday 23rd September had some new features compared to previous editions: the race was held on a new and unique 146 kilometre route with a 2,538 metre climb; it included a timed section at the Coll de Rates (at kilometre 38), 6.6 kilometres long and with a 5.5% gradient; it eliminated the climb to the Alt del Miserat due to the toughness of the section. Moreover, the route has maintained other important climbs such as the aforementioned Coll de Rates, Sa Creueta or the Vall d’Ebo, offering impressive panoramic views to the riders.
The twelfth edition also had more than two thousand participants of fifty different nationalities, such as the French cyclist Jeremy Roma and the Belgian Jef Teugels, who were the fastest in the race with a time of 4 hours and 15 minutes. In the women’s category, the fastest was the Belgian rider, Elke Timperman with 4 hours and 37 minutes followed by the British cyclist Suzanne Clarke with 4 hours and 45 minutes.
Old rivals and friends
Alberto Contador and Joaquim “Purito” Rodríguez, rivals in their racing days and friends, pedaled hand in hand with the peloton throughout the entire route and crossed the finish line together at the Oliva Nova Beach & Golf Hotel in a tight sprint. Former professionals Pedro Horrillo and Alex Zulle didn’t want to miss the well-known competition either and they joined with all the registered fans.
The latest editions, held since 2018 in the Oliva Nova complex, has proven that the Resort is an ideal place to welcome sports tourism and also to raise awareness of the Valencian town among the cycling world. A clear example of this is the fact that the organizers of La Vuelta Ciclista a España 2023 chose the town of Oliva itself as the finishing point of a stage.
