Hernández gets mud-fest revenge

Having finished second to Javier Ruíz de Larrinaga twice in little over a week, Aitor Hernández finally bested the MMR-Spiuk rider in Sunday's XX Ciclocross in Karrantza, Bizkaia.

The Orbea rider was beaten by the resurgent Larrinaga in Lezama yesterday and in Medina de Pomar last weekend, but proved quickest on the finishing straight to take a richly-deserved win. The duo was in a class of their own throughout, quickly distancing the rest on the terribly muddy circuit and putting over a minute into number three, 21-year-old Frenchman Flavien Dassonville.

"It was a very technical and complicated circuit, as well as hard and heavy", the former Euskaltel climber told the Basque Cycling Federation's website afterwards. "I'm strong, but technically I was about to lose yet another race. But I was able to remove the "thorn" from Lezama", he concluded, referring to Saturday's race.

Results, elites and sub-23:

• 1, Aitor Hernández (Ermua Orbea), 57:59
• 2, Javier Ruíz de Larrinaga (MMR-Spiuk), s.t.
• 3, Flavien Dassonville (Auber 93), 1:16 - sub-23 winner
• 4, José Antonio Díez Arriola (Tus Bicis Maglia Sport), 1:40
• 5, Yorben van Tichelt (Sunweb-Revor), 1:45
• 6, Ismael Félix Barba (EnBici-Stevens), 1:58
• 7, Iñigo Gómez (BioRace-Caravanas Erandio), 2:23
• 8, Jon Gómez (BioRace-Caravanas Erandio), 2:30
• 9, Agustín Navarro (Ciudad de Oviedo), s.t.
• 10, Jaime Juncal (Aquagest), 2:41

Sub-23: Flavier Dassonville. Junior: Alex Aramburu. Cadete: Jon Gil. Women elite and sub-23: Lucía González. Women junior: Alicia González. Women cadete: Lidia Barba.

The Basque cyclo-cross season continues next weekend with races in Llodio, Álava, and Muskiz, Bizkaia.

As for the strongest Basque cyclo-cross rider at the moment, Egoitz Murgoitio, he continued his World Cup campaign with an encouraging 15th place in today's race in Plzen, Czech Republic. Arguably one of his strongest ever performances on the international scene takes him up to 24th overall.

As for sub-23 hopeful Jonathan Lastra, the race in Plzen didn't go according to plan. The youngster crossed the line over seven minutes in arrears in 34th.

Photo: Iñaki Azanza