December 19/09 21:52 pm - La Vuelta Ciclista Internacional a Costa Rica - Stage 4

Posted by Editoress on 12/19/09
 

Costa Rica's Esteban Castro gave his team Bufete Guzmán y Álvarez-Exeltec its very first victory in the history of La Vuelta Ciclista Internacional a Costa Rica. Castro won today’s fourth stage between La Fortuna of San Carlos, at the North of the country, and Liberia, the business capital of the North Pacific province of Guanacaste.

The Bufete Guzmán y Álvarez-Exeltec is the newest cycling club of Costa Rica, so this is its inaugural participation to the national road tour.

Esteban Castro, best known as “El Loco” (“The Crazy”), completed the 190.1 kilometre stage - the longest for this year’s event - with a time of 4:56:42, 21 seconds ahead of the main group. Second and third places went to Colombian Carlos Pulgarín and William Valencia (Greatwall-Indeportes Antioquia).

The winner attacked out of the peloton with some 30 kilometres to go, after the group chased three riders who had participated in the longest breakaway of the tour to date. Local rider Luis Rojas (Bufete Guzmán y Álvarez.Exeltec), Eduardo Garita (Citibank-Economy Rent a Car-Blue) and Hersson Jiménez (Plycem-JPS-Orbea) attacked early in the stage and gained an advantage of 11 minutes by the middle of the race, before being caught on the flattest section of the course.

The biggest surprise of the day was the decision of the Russian Team to abandon the race in protest for the disqualification of its sprinter Alexander Khatuntsev in yesterday’s stage.

Tomorrow stage covers140 kilometres between Liberia and Esparza.

Press release