Dascalu wins a spectacular race at the Internacionales de Chelva

Dascalu takes the victory in the Internacionales de Chelva. The Romanian had to come from behind to reach the front in a race toughened from the start by De Froidmont. Gaze always remained in contention and secured second place, while Valero finished third.

Dascalu wins the four-way battle at the Internacionales de Chelva

The sun and pleasant temperature welcomed the 65 riders who had gathered today in the Valencian town of Chelva. The favorites started strong and the race intensified from the beginning: far from conservative strategies and long-term plans, the day started strong and the intense pace prevailed from the start to make the first differences.

De Froidmont - who already had a great performance in last season's edition - took control of the lead and the strong pedaling of the Belgian stretched a front group that had barely formed when the first tensions began.
 

Even in the first lap, De Froidmont took a few meters advantage over Gaze who, in turn, also had a narrow margin with the group of Brandl, Valero, Campos, Fini, and company. Meanwhile, Dascalu was the candidate for victory who struggled the most in these early stages; the differences were still small, but the thirteenth place he occupied showed that he was in for an attacking race.

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De Froidmont maintained the lead, although Gaze contained the charge. The duel was fought with several seconds of difference and hostilities put more distance between them and the pursuers, a large group of 15 riders led by Valero and where Dascalu was already present.

Gaze's strides eventually caught De Froidmont and both joined forces to consolidate their privileged position. The race was a powder keg, although at times the opposition was far from rebelling against a pair that already had 20 seconds of distance with the chasers.

Valero's determination, and that usual habit of empowering himself as the kilometers passed, brought the Spaniard closer to the front. Although other riders tried to follow his wake when he started the chase, in the end no one was able to match the pace with which he turned the pedals and he caught them alone.

De Froidmont, Gaze, and Valero came together when the race was already past its halfway point. The Spaniard waited a bit behind the rival wheels and took the lead to take the lead for the first time in the day. 

Equality was established in the following kilometers: no one wanted to take the next step and the three contained their strength amidst dust and sweat. The situation allowed Dascalu to catch up with them after recovering all the positions lost at the start and leaving everyone behind. The race progressed and became more open: fifth lap, four contenders for victory.

Tension increased as the end approached and the front group remained composed of the four. De Froidmont, Valero, Gaze, and Dascalu had formed a lasting union that would eventually fade, although it held up well as the laps passed. The balance of the race still did not tilt in any direction and everything seemed to point to a high-stakes outcome.

The script kept the options open for the quartet during the next lap and they faced the final lap together. Dascalu took the lead and preferred to show his cards without prolonging the wait any longer. The move paid off and he escaped, leaving De Froidmont, Valero, and Gaze in a battle for second place.

Thus, Dascalu headed alone towards the finish line to give a handstand and seal the victory in the Chelva Internationals. Another triumph in the Valencian event to add to the one he conquered last year.

Sam Gaze won the battle for silver, while Valero secured third place and De Froidmont had to settle for fourth.