Estévez wins the big one

Imanol Estévez closed out a sensational season in the best way possible by claiming the overall win in the Torneo Lehendakari race series on Saturday.

The former Team Alimco prodigy, who burst onto the scene in mid-August by claiming top honours in Lemoiz, wrestled the top spot from Debabarrena's Aitor González by finishing in ninth place in today's concluding race in Oñati, Gipuzkoa. González could only muster 28th on the day, and was thus forced to relinquish his long-held lead at the last hurdle. It represents a major triumph for Estévez though - taking out the Basque Country's sub-23 race series in your first year in the age group is quite a feat.

The race in Oñati was unsurprisingly taken out by in-form Caja Rural rider Miguel Ángel Benito, the youngster profiting from the battle between Naturgas Energía and Debabarrena, both fighting for the overall, to slip away in the closing stages of the 100km race to solo in ten seconds ahead of team-mates Dario Hernández and Ibai Salas. Estévez's ninth was just enough to usurp González as the latter came in with a group some 50 seconds further back.

Jon Larrinaga, who's likely to make the jump to Orbea after a stellar year in which he held the overall series lead for quite some time early on in the year, was also in with a chance of claiming the top gong and left it all on the road today. Larrinaga made it into many dangerous breaks if the Basque Cycling Federation's website is to be believed, and the last group he infiltrated was only caught inside the last five clicks. He eventually finished 26th though, and should (still awaiting the official overall results) finish third overall in the Torneo.

Final overall Torneo Lehendakari results will be posted here as soon as they're in.

Results XXV Oñati Proba, Oñati:

• 1, Miguel Ángel Benito (Caja Rural), 2:28:54
• 2, Dario Hernández (Caja Rural), 0:10
• 3, Ibai Salas (Caja Rural), s.t.
• 4, Adrián González (Ibaigane Opel), s.t.
• 5, Krzysztof Tracz (Hostal Latorre), s.t.
• 6, Pim Klaver (Azysa-Telco'm-Conor WRC), s.t.
• 7, Antonio Molina (Caja Rural), s.t.
• 8, Sergio Rodríguez (Seguros Bilbao), s.t.
• 9, Imanol Estévez (Naturgas Energía), s.t.
• 10, Cristobal Sánchez (Seguros Bilbao), s.t.
• 26, Jon Larrinaga (Naturgas Energía), 0:50

Photo: Pascal Baudron