It may be the off-season, but a clutch of top Spanish riders will line out in the XVIth Championship of the ACP (Professional Cyclist’s Association of Spain) in San Leon Andres Rabanedo this coming Sunday. The programme of races will commemorate the career of the legendary climber and 1959 Tour de France winner Frederico Bahamontes.
2008 Tour champion Carlos Sastre (Cervélo Test Team), 2009 Vuelta a España victor Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) and Olympic champ Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel Euskadi) are the biggest draws in the 36 rider field, and are sure to attract good crowds.
Also appearing will be Paris-Nice winner Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne), Juanjo Cobo (Fuji-Mobile Team), Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia), Santiago Perez (Medeinox Boavista), Chechu Rubiera (Astana) and Benjamin Noval (Astana). The event will be broadcast on several TV stations.
Sunday’s programme will see the riders slug it out in three different races. The first is a team time trial, then a road race and elimination race will follow. Alberto Contador and Valverde are the two most recent winners.
The latter will hope not to be too stiff after his indoor football match the day before, to be held in the sport hall of León. Participants will be professional cyclists and other sportspeople, and the proceeds will be used in the UNICEF campaign Drops for Niger. The aim of the project is to help children in the African country.