Rosa van Doorn and Hans Becking Reign in the Fred.Olsen Express Transgrancanaria Bike

Buff-Megamo Caps the Week with a Double Victory as They Top the UCI Rankings as the Best MTB Team in the World

Cordovan Miguel Muñoz repeats victory as the first to complete nearly 70 kilometers on the final day

Gran Canaria’s Blas Rivero is the top elite Canarian in the overall standings, while Master40 Lourdes Bethencourt was the fastest Canarian cyclist

Celebration in the Buff-Megamo team after achieving wins in both the women’s and men’s overall standings with Rosa van Doorn and Hans Becking, respectively, at the ninth Fred.Olsen Express Transgrancanaria Bike, coinciding with the week they secured the top spot in the UCI rankings as the best MTB team in the world. The race, held since last Thursday, concluded this Sunday with the longest day, 69.7 kilometers, starting and finishing at Parque Sur in Maspalomas. After ascending the Ayagaures ravine, descending Fataga, and traversing the El Salobre area, the stage winners were Rosa van Doorn and Miguel Muñoz from Klimatiza Toteemi.

This year’s race, for the second consecutive year within the UCI S2 category circuit, reached the final day with everything to decide in the general classification, where the Dutch Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB) and Hans Becking started as leaders but with less than a minute’s advantage over their pursuers. Thus, in the women’s race, Van Doorn started with the aim of reclaiming the red jersey she lost on Saturday by just 46 seconds, an advantage that she reduced to just 13 seconds at the first checkpoint at Parque Sur after descending the Fataga ravine. At the next checkpoint, at kilometer 50.8, she gained an 8:30 lead over her rival, a final advantage that did not decrease at the finish line, allowing her to secure her first Fred.Olsen Express Transgrancanaria Bike victory in her debut in the race.

At the finish line, Van Doorn admitted she didn’t know she had finally won by such a margin over her compatriot. “From the first ascent, I tried and kept pushing, I gave it my all. I also enjoyed today’s course, it was the best along with the views of the stage,” she explained.

For her part, the second in the stage and overall, Dutch rider Tessa Kortekaas, based in Lanzarote, highlighted that she “really enjoyed” her first experience at the Gran Canaria event. “I didn’t know what shape I was in after the Titan Desert in Morocco – a race she won last week with victories in all six stages – but I’m super happy with the sensations, they were better than I expected.” The Cannondale ISB rider leaves the island with a stage win on Saturday, which allowed her to start the day in the red jersey, although she ultimately couldn’t defend it. “It was a battle where I was feeling the fatigue not just physically but also mentally. I’m happy to finish second in both the overall and stage, and surely, I’ll be back next year,” she concluded.

Meanwhile, the podium this Sunday was completed by Andalusian Natalia Fischer (Scott Cala Bandida), who in her second participation in this race finished third overall. “I’m very happy to have enjoyed this great island and event again. I loved the race from the first stage to the last, even though they were short for me except today. I hope to come back again,” said the current Spanish champion. Behind her, both in the overall and today’s stage, were the Romanian based in Gran Canaria Manuela Muresan and the Portuguese Celina Carpinteiro.

Women’s Elite Stage 4 Results

1. Rosa van Doorn – Buff-Megamo (NED) – 2:58:13
2. Tessa Kortekaas – Cannondale ISB (NED) – 3:06:43
3. Natalia Fischer – Scott Cala Bandida (ESP) – 3:07:21
4. Manuela Muresan – Dinamo Bikesport (RUM) – 3:16:48
5. Celina Carpinteiro – Cyclin Team / Município Albufeira (POR) – 3:25:44

Women’s Elite Overall Results

1. Rosa van Doorn – Buff-Megamo (NED) – 7:20:45
2. Tessa Kortekaas – Cannondale ISB (NED) – 7:28:29
3. Natalia Fischer – Scott Cala Bandida (ESP) – 7:38:10
4. Manuela Muresan – Dinamo Bikesport (RUM) – 7:49:51
5. Celina Carpinteiro – Cyclin Team / Município Albufeira (POR) – 8:22:43

In the men’s category, Cordovan Miguel Muñoz started the day third in the overall standings, 1:50 behind leader Hans Becking, and attempted to regain the leader’s jersey he lost yesterday due to a mechanical issue, but couldn’t as the Dutch rider showed a high level with three final wins.

“The legs were good, a pity about yesterday’s mechanical issue because I’m in great form and could have taken the overall win, but MTB is like that, mechanical issues happen to everyone, and yesterday it was my turn. Today I started with Hans at 1:50 and tried from the first moment with my teammates Roberto and Sebastián, we set a tough pace on the first climb, I moved ahead, went with Hans, we opened a gap little by little, and I tried to attack him, but he responded well,” summarized the Klimatiza Toteemi rider who moved up to second overall. “I’m super happy, it’s my first time in Gran Canaria, and without a doubt, I’ll be back.”

Meanwhile, the Dutch champion claimed his second consecutive Fred.Olsen Express Transgrancanaria Bike. “It was tougher than last year, and also more fun,” indicated Hans Becking at the finish line, who admitted he had the advantage of remembering some routes from last year, which helped him to the final victory. “I’m very happy to win again,” he affirmed after repeating at the top of the podium, accompanied by his teammate Enrique Morcillo, in a demonstration of Buff-Megamo’s great season, once again achieving an excellent result in a UCI race. “It’s hard to stay at the top every week, but we have a great team, and we’re very happy.”

Men’s Elite Stage 4 Results

1. Miguel Muñoz – Klimatiza Toteemi (ESP) – 2:36:18
2. Hans Becking – Buff-Megamo (NED) – 2:36:28
3. Enrique Morcillo – Buff-Megamo (ESP) – 2:39:56
4. Sergio Mantecón – Scott Cala Bandida (ESP) – 2:41:25
5. Luis Ángel Maté – Fundación Euskadi (ESP) – 2:42:41

The top five in the elite overall standings and the last stage were completed by Enrique Morcillo, Spanish champion Sergio Mantecón, and Andalusian Luis Ángel Maté. The top Canarian was Blas Rivero, who finished ninth despite a mechanical issue on the second day.

Men’s Elite Overall Results

1. Hans Becking – Buff-Megamo (NED) – 6:18:04
2. Miguel Muñoz – Klimatiza Toteemi (ESP) – 6:19:43
3. Enrique Morcillo – Buff-Megamo (ESP) – 6:24:46
4. Sergio Mantecón – Scott Cala Bandida (ESP) – 6:23:56
5. Luis Ángel Maté – Fundación Euskadi (ESP) – 6:29:18

In other categories, the women’s Master30 overall was won by Brazilian Vanessa Lessa ahead of Elisabet Breval and Isabel Castro, while the men’s overall was led by Romanian Florin Muresan, followed by Daniel Santana and Borja Martín. In women’s Master40, the lead went to Lourdes Bethencourt, the fastest Canarian in all categories, ahead of Cathaysa Sánchez, with the men’s final victory going to Portuguese Valério Ferreira, joined on the podium by MTB legend Jesús Hermida and Canarian Néstor Rodríguez. In women’s Master50, Swedish Lena Kristina Berndtsson took the final victory ahead of Argentine Sandra Scholz, while in the men’s category, the podium was comprised of Jorge López, Guzmán Travieso, and Roberto González. Finally, in the men’s Master60 category, José Ramón López was the winner, followed by Peter Boggio and Juan Francisco Gil. Regarding electric bicycles, the winner was Juana Aida Muñoz, and the men’s podium was comprised of Carlos Francesco Manetti, Robert Rodríguez, and Guillermo José Medina.

On the last day of the race, Parque Sur also hosted a cycling circuit in which 150 young cyclists (benjamins, promises, beginners, alevins, and juniors) competed in a race as part of the Gran Canaria Schools Cycling Championship.

The Fred.Olsen Express Transgrancanaria Bike, organized by Arista Eventos, is sponsored by Fred. Olsen Express. It also receives support from the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through the institutions Turismo de Gran Canaria and the Instituto Insular de Deportes, as well as from the Government of the Canary Islands with Islas Canarias Latitud de Vida. The Ayuntamiento de San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Maspalomas Costa Canaria also provide their backing. Additionally, the race is supported by 226ERS, Vivac Aventura, Gobik, Emicela, Pepsi, Aguas de Teror, Lorenzo González Automoción, Gofio La Piña, Sonocom, Provital, and Inetel.