Vitoria Rocks Vuelta Mexico With Solo Win

Cuernavaca, Mexico – The wins just keep coming for Rock Racing, with David Vitoria being the latest rider to throw a double-armed salute in the air for the team whose uniforms feature the words “Rock’s Not Dead.”

The fourth-year Swiss pro soloed to victory in Wednesday’s fourth stage of the Vuelta Mexico Telmex. His win in the 124-mile (200 km) race from Tlaxcala to Cuernavaca marked the team’s eighth win of the year and its third in the past five days.

On Saturday, Rahsaan Bahati led a 1-2 finish by Rock Racing at the Merco Classic Downtown Criterium, followed by Iggy Silva’s win at the Merco Classic Foothills Road Race on Sunday.


In Wednesday’s race, Vitoria escaped from three others – Arquimedes Lam (Tecos De La Uga), Francesco Rivera (Amica Chips-Knauf) and Andrew Pinfold (OUCH Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis) – on a steep climb in the closing miles to beat Lam by 20 seconds. Pinfold was third, 1:53 behind.

Gilberto Simoni (Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) retained the overall lead by finishing in the peloton, 2:49 behind Vitoria. Rock Racing’s Enrique Gutierrez placed seventh on the day and is fifth in the overall standings, 10 seconds behind. Rock Racing’s Glen Chadwick (inset), the race’s defending champion, is seventh overall, 13 seconds back.

At 133 miles (215 km), Thursday’s fifth stage is the longest of the eight-day race and features no fewer than eight King of the Mountain hot spots before ending in Toluca.

Photos: © Luis Barbosa