Chetout and Estévez hammer the rest in Ereño

Loïc Chetout and Imanol Estévez continued Naturgas Energía's superb start to the year by taking a double-win in Sunday's Trofeo Lehendakari opener in Ereño.

The 105,3km race in the Vizcaya region saw a three-man break consisting of Lizarte's Catalonian Marc Sóler, Caja Rural's Miguel Ángel Benito and Seguros Bilbao's Héctor Sáez animate the day's racing, but the climb of Natxitua some five clicks from the line saw the strongest riders come to the fore.

Former Naturgas Energía prodigy Fernando Grijalba crested the summit first, but the aforementioned Naturgas duo always stayed close by and eventually reeled him in. In the slightly uphill sprint, Chetout and Estévez, in that order, had too much for Grijalba, the Caja Rural rider forced to settle for third.

The victory represents the Frenchman's first in a Naturgas jersey.

To top things off for the red and whites, they (logically) came away with the team prize as well.

Results:

• 1, Loïc Chetout (Naturgas Energía), 2:45:38
• 2, Imanol Estévez (Naturgas Energía), 0:01
• 3, Fernando Grijalba (Caja Rural), 0:03
• 4, Iñigo Ojeda (Baqué-Campos), s.t.
• 5, Antonio Pedrero (Lizarte), 0:06
• 6, Diego Rubio (Caja Rural), 0:14
• 7, Ibai Salas (Caja Rural), 0:31
• 8, Antonio Angulo (Baqué-Campos), s.t.
• 9, David Civera (Koplad), s.t.
• 10, Egoitz Fernández (Seguros Bilbao), s.t.

Another Basque, Antton Ibarguren of Telco'm Conor WRC-Unsain Rent, won Sunday's XXX Gran Premio Ayuntamiento de Camargo in Muriedas, Cántabria.

Photo: Pascal Baudron