Hernández soft pedals to Euskadi crown

Aitor Hernández made light work of the competition at the Euskadi Championship race in Ormaiztegi on Sunday, adding the regional champion title to the overall Superprestigio win taken the day before.

The Orbea rider soloed to the win ahead of Javier Ruiz de Larrinaga and Aketza Peña - in other words the exact same podium as in Puente Viesgo the day before. Egoitz Murgoitio was once again hit by bad luck, crashing while checking out the course pre-race. A broken tooth and a hit to the knee was not enough to stop the Hirumet-Taldea rider from lining up, but he was naturally way off the pace and had to settle for a distant sixth.

25-year-old Erlantz Uriarte of Ibaigane Opel finished just off the podium in fourth, while another former road pro, erstwhile Orbea rider Júlen Zubero, came in fifth.

Results, elite (full results here):

1. Aitor Hernández (Ermua-Orbea), 54:22
2. Javier Ruiz de Larrinaga (MMR-Spiuk), 0:48
3. Aketze Peña Iza (Zallako Belodromo), 1:19
4. Erlantz Uriarte (Ibaigane Opel), 1:39
5. Júlen Zubero (Ciclos Zubero), 2:13
6. Egoitz Murgoitio (Hirumet-Taldea), 3:54
7. Asier Arregi (Bizikleta.com), 5:02
8. Alain Mendijur (Bizikleta.com), 6:14
9. Zigor Urain (CDR Bicicletas), 7:07
10. Asier Bolivar (Aiala S.C.), 7:29

Jonathan Lastra once again saved Hirumet-Taldea's day by clinching the sub-23 crown, edging out the multitalented future Caja Rural rider Jon Ander Insausti by four seconds. The Gómez brothers, Jon and Iñigo, took third and fourth respectively, while Bidelan-Kirolgi's Mikel Elorza came through for fifth. Insausti's training buddy Pello Olaberria grabbed sixth ahead of another pair of brothers, Cafés Baqué duo Peio Goikoetxea in seventh and Xabier Goikoetxea in ninth, Debabarrena's Ion Rivero finishing in between in eighth. Josu Urrestarazu closed out the top ten.

Results here.

Mendiz Mendi prodigy Eneko Corrales beat Caja Rural's Alex Aranburu to the junior title, Gotzon Martín, famous for modelling Euskaltel's 2013 jersey recently, grabbing third. Among the cadetes, Jokín Alberdi bested Unai Orbea and Josu Albizua, with a kid with the interesting name of Iñigo Landaluze grabbing fourth.

Olatz Odriozola bested Eider Merino convincingly among the women, Lierni Lekuona taking third.

Photo: Iñaki Azanza