Havana, October 29 (JIT) -- Cuban Arlenis Sierra conquered today the fifth place in the individual road race of the XIX Pan American Games, dominated by a triad of riders from the United States, Ecuador and Paraguay.
The event, disputed with six laps of a 17.5 kilometers circuit between the Plaza de la Aviación and a nearby hill, reserved the main definitions for the last segment, as it usually happens with these designs.
In the advanced peloton, going up the elevation, Lauren Stephens (USA) broke away and later Miryam Nuñez (ECU) and Agua Marina Espinola (PAR).
In that order they reached the finish line with times of 2:51:05 for the winner and 2:52:29 for the other medalists. For the fourth place came the Brazilian Ana Victoria Gouveia (2:53:14), who started earlier in search of the breakaways.
Then came a group of nine riders led by Cuban Arlenis Sierra (2:53:35), queen of the event in Guadalajara 2011 and Lima 2019, so she just handed over the crown of the competition.Havana, Oct 29 (JIT) Cuban Arlenis Sierra conquered today the fifth place in the individual road race of the XIX Pan American Games, dominated by a triad of riders from the United States, Ecuador and Paraguay.
"It was a pretty nice race, the climb made the group decide a little more to the breakaways. Being here without a team was a little difficult for me. The truth is that I looked for the breakaway on the descent, but in the flat no one wanted to go behind the escapees, they were at the expense of me or the American, "explained the manzanillera on the prevailing atmosphere in a joust started with good cold, but closed with a more pleasant temperature.
"I was watching the Americans, I was attacking one and the other, in the end one of them was going to escape. Nothing, I'll have to wait for the next opportunity when we can have a full team. Otherwise it takes a bit of a toll," lamented the Movistar club member and silver medalist in the time trial at these Games.
"I am very happy that people in Cuba love me. They have supported me when I have not had the best results and that is important. Sometimes things don't go the way you want them to. These races are complicated, I'm always going to win, but I'm happy with fifth place. I don't underestimate any rider," she added calmly.
"Congratulations to those who won, they deserve it. They tried hard and they got it. I will wait for the next Pan American Games to see if I can be present and do much better," she concluded.
