Oviedo, Spain - Following an exciting Stage 4 victory that earned him the yellow jersey, Rock Racing’s Paco Mancebo captured the 53rd Vuelta a Asturias this past weekend to claim a GC win in his home country.
On Stage 4 from Cafes Toscaf to El Acebo, Mancebo crushed three category one climbs and a mountain-top finish to move him from 8th place into the race lead. He would place fifth on the fifth and final 178 km stage from Cangas de Narcea to Oviedo and finish a comfortable 24 seconds ahead of his closest challenger, Tiago Machado of Madeinox Boavista.
Mancebo’s performance topped a spectacular week for Rock Racing, who took the overall team classification and three of five stage wins including back to back victories in Stages 1 and 2 courtesy of Glen Chadwick and Oscar Sevilla.
“All the guys came into this race extremely motivated to show fans here how strong this team is,” said assistant Team Director Laurenzo LaPage. “This is a very special group of riders. They are all great friends who work extremely hard for each other, and watching what they were able to do here – three stages with three different riders – is incredible.”
Mancebo’s victory is Rock Racing’s 17th of the season and Mancebo’s first since the 2009 Amgen Tour of California where earned a stage win, but then crashed in the second to last stage sustaining a concussion and broken bones to his hand and elbow.
The team followed up their victory in the Vuelta a Asturias by participating in the spring classic, Subida al Naranco, a 149 km race through the heart of the Asturias that finished at the summit of Mount Naranco.
Photo: © Rafa Gómez
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