David Valero makes history and wins his tenth Spanish XCO title in Baza

David Valero has once again left his name engraved in golden letters in the history of Spanish cycling by conquering his tenth Spanish XCO champion title this Sunday, the ninth consecutively. And he did it at home, on the circuit that bears his name in Baza (Granada), in front of an enthusiastic crowd that fervently celebrated another feat of the best Spanish biker of the last decade. Estíbaliz Sagardoy once again dominated the women's race and retained her Spanish Champion jersey.

David Valero wins his tenth Spanish Championship at home and supported by his fans

The rider from BH Coloma Team arrived at this Spanish Championship as one of the main objectives of his season, and he did not disappoint. Just a few hours after also winning the Short Track, Valero once again showed his dominance in the main cross-country Olympic race.

His team was the great dominator of the day from the start. Valero, along with his teammates Jofre Cullell, David Campos, and Alberto Barroso, broke away in the first kilometers of the race. The pace set was so high that the BH quartet stayed ahead very soon, demonstrating absolute control of the race.

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For several laps, Valero and Cullell engaged in a mano a mano that seemed destined to be resolved in the final laps. However, a mechanical problem relegated the Catalan, allowing David Campos to take the second position. Cullell had to settle for bronze.

Valero, on the other hand, only needed to maintain a constant and error-free pace on a track he knows like the back of his hand. He crossed the finish line with a time of 1h 35'55" for the 30.85-kilometer course, riding at an average speed of 20.36 km/h, and with a 1 minute and 48-second lead over Campos. Cullell closed the podium almost three minutes behind.

Estíbaliz Sagardoy wins with a solid performance

In the elite women's race, there was also no room for surprises. The Navarrese Estíbaliz Sagardoy (Saltoky Conor) retained her national title with a solid performance from start to finish. Her time of 1h 23'57" allowed her to assert her authority over Nuria Bosch (Massi), who finished second with 1h 24'52", and Sofía Rodríguez (MMR), who took third with 1h 25'39".

Thibaut François and Marta Cano shine in the Sub23 category

In the men's sub23 category, the Frenchman based in Spain Thibaut François (Canyon) took the gold with an excellent wear strategy, clocking a time of 1h 19'36". The podium was completed by Alejandro García (Mondraker) and Francesc Barber (BH Coloma Team).

In the women's sub23, the Catalan Marta Cano had no rival and dominated convincingly, finishing in 1h 22'58", with over seven minutes ahead of Eva González and over ten minutes ahead of Magali Albisu.

With this new victory, David Valero confirms himself as the absolute king of Spanish XCO of the last decade. Ten titles, nine of them consecutive, are the best reflection of an exemplary career that still has much to offer.