Arlenis Sierra says goodbye to the year with a win in Varese

Havana, October 5 (RHC)-- Cuban cycling star Arlenis Sierra won the first women's edition of the classic Tre Valli Varesine (Italy) on Tuesday to end the season in style.

28 years old and captain of the A.R.Monex club, the Cuban cyclist won the 92.4 km section starting in Arsizio and finishing in Varese with a time of 2h27.14.

"I really didn't expect a season finale like this.  Everything was much bigger than I expected. In the last races, everything went well and I am very happy with these excellent results, for me, for the team and for all those around me," the Cuban told the Italian press in her first statements after the race.

Arlenis was stronger in the final sprint than the other two riders who took about a minute off the main peloton and disputed the victory, the Spanish Mavi García (BTC Ljbljana) and the Australian Rachel Neylan (Parkhotel Valkenburg).

During the ride, the cyclists had to ride several laps of a circuit with climbs in Montello (1.6 km) and Casbeno (2.6 km).

For Arlenis, it has been perhaps her best end of the season, in which she obtained eight podiums at the highest level and achieved a historic fifth place at the world championship in Flanders (Belgium), in the elite road race.

Three days ago, she came in second in the Giro d'Emilia and shortly before the world championships she won the prologue and took the win in the final classification in the prestigious Giro della Toscana, both races in Italy.

Monex also managed to include in the top ten in the race the Italians Maria Sperotto (eighth) and Katia Ragusa (tenth).

Final ranking

1 CUB SIERRA ARLENIS (A.R.MONEX WOMEN'S PRO CYCL) 2:27'14

2 SP GARCIA CANELLAS MARGARITA (ALE BTC LJUBLJANA) 2:27'14

3 AUS NEYLAN RACHEL (PARKHOTEL VALKENBURG) 2:27'14

4 ITA MALCOTTI BARBARA (VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE) 2:27'41

5 ITA MAGRI SILVIA (VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE) 2:28'14

6 NED BUIJSMAN NINA (PARKHOTEL VALKENBURG) 2:28'14

7 ITA GASPARRINI ELEONORA (VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE) 2:28'14

8 ITA SPEROTTO MARIA VITTORI (A.R.MONEX WOMEN'S PRO CYCL) 2:28'14

9 LTU LELEIVYTE RASA AROMITALIA (BASSO BIKES VAIAN) 2:28'14

10 ITA RAGUSA KATIA (A.R.MONEX WOMEN'S PRO CYCL) 2:28'14