Jon Pardo comes out tops in Ataun

Basque 24-year-old Jon Pardo emerged victorious from today's Torneo Euskaldun-race in Ataun.

The native of Lukin, Navarra, escaped with Aisala SC's Asier Bolívar, Bidelan's Beñat Txoperena, Caja Rural's Eddy Valdespino and Reyno de Navarra's Raul Martínez going over the last climb of the day, the Urkillaga. The former trio dislodged the Cuban, Valdespino, and Martínez, and were left to fight it out for the win, the Basque Cycling Federation's website writes. Pardo, formerly of Seguros Bilbao and a pro last year with Onda-Boavista, handed his French team Entente Sud Gascogne a welcome win, besting Bolívar and Txoperena in that order.

The race also counted as the provincial championships of Gipuzkoa. Ioritz Urdangarin of local team Bidelan took out the sub-23 crown courtesy of his eighth place, while Kepa Ochoa of Kanpanzar won the elite category.

A pair of top domestic cyclo-crossers made their mark on the race. Javier Ruíz de Larrinaga placed seventh for his Lizarte team, while Egoitz Murgoitio took out the mountains classification.

Results:

• 1, Jon Pardo (Entente Sud Gascogne), 3:00:09
• 2, Asier Bolívar (Aisala SC), s.t.
• 3, Beñat Txoperena (Bidelan-Kirolgi), s.t.
• 4, Eddy Valdespino (Caja Rural), 0:35
• 5, Miguel Ángel Benito (Caja Rural), 0:39
• 6, Ander Barrenetxea (Opel Ibaigane), 0:55
• 7, Javier Ruíz de Larrinaga (Lizarte), s.t.
• 8, Ioritz Urdangarin (Bidelan-Kirolgi), s.t.
• 9, Unai Intziarte (Bidelan-Kirolgi), 1:39
• 10, Kepa Ochoa (Kanpanzar Harrobia), 1:48

Photo: www.ciclismosb.com