XI edizione - Murcia 2015
50 km men
Partenza puntuale alle ore 8:00 e subito i due russi Ivan Noskov e Mikhail Ryzhov ai quali si è inaspettatamente aggiunto l’Italiano Marco De Luca che di solito fa gare di recupero.
Verso il 4° km (18:07) il polacco Grzegorz Sudol (18:47) si stacca dal gruppo (18:57) e cerca di avvicinare i battistrada, mentre poco dopo De Luca si stacca si qualche metro.
Passaggio ai 5 km: i due russi in 22:35, De Luca in 22:39. Seguono gli altri.
Ai 10 km:
Guidano la gara Noskov e Ryzhov in 44:46.
Al terzo posto De Luca in 45:01 gravato però da una red card per sospensione
Segue Sudol in 46.17.
Gli altri Italiani: Federico Tontodonati è 9° in 46:42, Teodorico Caporaso è 16° in 47:21, Lorenzo Dessì è 22° in 48:25.
Ai 20 km:
Sempre in testa la coppia russa in 1:29:00
Sempre al terzo posto Marco De Luca in 1.29:50
Sempre quarto Sudol in 1.31.32.
E' stato squalificato il Bielorussi Trotski.
Gli altri Italiani: Federico Tontodonati è 12° in 1:32:28, Teodorico Caporaso è 15° in 1.34:06, Lorenzo Dessì è 21° in 1:36:38.
Ai 30 km:
Sempre in testa la coppia russa in 2:13:14
Sempre al terzo posto Marco De Luca in 2.15:47
Per il quarto posto l'Ucraino Ivan Banzeruk (2.16:54) ha sorpassato Sudol (2:17:14)
Squalificati il momumento della marcia spagnola, Jesus Angel Garcia Bragado, l'altro spagnolo Marc Tur e l'ungherese Lukas Gdula.
Gli altri Italiani: Federico Tontodonati è 12° in 2:18:33, Teodorico Caporaso è 13° in 2.20:33, Lorenzo Dessì è 20° in 2:25:18
la gara per le posizioni di testa sembra aver gia detto tutto, salvo qualche sorpresa.
Ai 40 km:
Ivan Noskov e Mikhail Ryzhov in 2:57:24 con un parziale sugli ultimi 10 km di 44:09.
Marco De Luca è sempre terzo in 3:00.42 (44:54)
Ha accelerato cercando di avvicinare De Luca l'Ucraino Ivan Banzeruk che passa quarto in 3:01:33 (44:37).
Gli altri Italiani: Federico Tontodonati è 10° in 3:04:33, Teodorico Caporaso è 12° in 3:06:45, Lorenzo Dessì è 16° in 3:12:18
Ai 45 km:
Mikhail Ryzhov ha forzato l'andatura (22:21) e passa in 3:19:45 davanti al compagno di squadra Ivan Noskov (22:25) in 3:19:49.
Segue Marco De Luca (22:41) che passa in 3:23:23, seguito da Ivan Banzeruk che passa quarto in 3:24:25 (22.51).
Gli ultimi 5 km non sono un assolo russo. Entrambi ormai sicuri della vittoria fanno un parziale inferiore: Ryzhov (23:46) e Noskov (24:07). Chi non cede è Marco De Luca che con un parziale di 22:57 rosicchia quasi un minuto; gran bella gara la sua.
Finiscono così:
Mikhail Ryzhov, oro in 3:43:23 - Ivan Noskov, argento in 3:43:57 - Marco De Luca, bronzo in 3:46.21.
Quarto è Ivan Banzeruk (UKR) in 3:49:09, seguito da Roman Yevstifeyev (RUS) in 3:51:00.
Ma la sopresa per l'Italia non è terminata. Con un finale in crescendo Teodorico Caporaso (22:42) termina in ottava posizione in 3:51:44 (personal best - frantumato il precedente di 3:56:45 ottenuto in Coppa Europa a Dudince il 19.5.2013). Passaporto per i Campionati Mondiali e Giochi Olimpici assicurato !?
Gli altri Italiani: bella prova per Federico Tontodonati che termina 12° in 3:56:09 e Lorenzo Dessì arriva 17° in 4:04:46
Finalmente una bella prova di squadra per la 50 km italiana, che sembra aver così elaborato sia il lutto di Alex Schwazer sia aver dato una risposta precisa alla telenovela degli ultimi mesi.
Classifica a squadre della 50 km
1.- Russia, come da pronostico, con 8 punti
2.- Italia, con 23 punti, ma con miglior piazzamento
3.- Ucraina, con 23 punti
10 km Junior uomini
I favoriti della vigilia erano gli Spagnoli e così è stato: portano a casa due medaglie individuali (oro e bronzo) e ovviamente anche la vittoria a squadre.
Ai 5 km:
Guida la gara Diego Garcia in 20:24 che ha subito imposto il suo ritmo con questi parziali ogni giro di 1.000m: 4:15, 4:04, 3:59, 4:04 e 4:01.
Lo segue il compagno di squadra Pablo Oliva (20:45) che guida un gruppo composto da 5 atleti tra i quali il terzo Spagnolo Manuel Bermudez, il Francese Jean Blanchetoau, Il Russo Vasiliy Mizinov e lo Slovacco Miroslav Uradnik.
Gli Italiani: Gregorio Angelini è 15° in 21:17 - Gianluca Picchiottino è 22° in 21:46 - Stefano Chiesa è 39° in 22:33
Nella seconda parte della gara Diego Garcia continua nella sua marcia bella tecnicamente e anche sostanzialmente con i seguenti passaggi al km: 4:01, 4:01, 4:04, 4:05, 4:00. Una seconda parte di gara più veloce della prima che gli permette di vincere abbastanza agevolmente in 40:38.
La lotta per il secondo posto si risolve in favore del francese Jean Blancheteau che verso il 9° km aumenta l’andatura e stacca l’altro Spagnolo Pablo Oliva.
Il tempo: per Jean Blancheteau un ottimo 41.11 (personal best) e per Pablo Oliva anche il personal best in 41:19.
Quarto posto per lo Slovacco Miroslav Uradnik in 41:38 (PB) e quinto per l’altro Spagnolo Manuel Bermudez in 41:49 (PB).
Gli Italiani: Gregorio Angelini è 11° in 42:42 (personal best), Gianluca Picchiottino è 16° in 43:26 (personal best). Stefano Chiesa è 34° in 45:53 con due proposte di squalifica per sbloccato del ginocchio.
Classifica a squadre della 10 km Junior uomini
1.- Spagna con 4 punti, una vittoria schiacciante
2.- Francia con 11 punti
3.- Germania con 17 punti
4.- Russia con punti 20
5.- Italia con punti 27
20 km uomini
Subito in testa Yohann Diniz (3:58 il primo km), seguito ad una ventina di metri dal gruppo.
Dopo un giro subisce il primo richiamo con la paletta gialla per sospensione però continua sul suo passo e passa ai 2 km in 7:53
In testa al gruppo Lopez, Strelkov, Ivanov, Hlavan e Boyez.
Forza ancora l’andatura Diniz (3:59 al 3° km) che ora ha un vantaggio di una trentina di metri (17”), mentre Miguel Angel Lopez decide di accelerare seguito da Denis Strelkov e Aleksandr Ivanov.
5 km:
Primo è Yohann Diniz in 19:55.
Miguel Angel Lopez è secondo in 19:58 seguito da Aleksandr Ivanov (19:59) e Denis Strelkov (20:02)
Gli Italiani: Giorgio Rubino è 9° in 20:15 - Leonardo dei Tos è 28° in 20:58 - Francesco Fortunato è 36° in 21:22 - Michele Antonelli è 40° in 21:31
Verso il sesto km sia Lopez che Ivanov raggiungono Diniz e ora sono in tre a guidare la gara.
Ivanov è gravato da una red card per flessione del ginocchio.
Va in testa Miguel Angel Lopez mentre fioccano le palette gialle su Ivanov. Il ritmo è inferiore ai 4:00 al giro.
Ora Ivanov ha due proposte di squalifica a suo carico e sembra più in sospensione che con lo sbloccano. Si stacca di qualche metro Yohann Diniz.
10 km:
Miguel Angel Lopez 39:53 seguito da Aleksandr Ivanov a qualche metro.
Yohann Diniz ha perso una decina di metri ed è a 6".
Quarto è Matej Toth seguito da Dzianis Simanovich.
Forza il passo Miguel Angel Lopez e stacca ancora di qualche metro Ivanov, menntre viene doppiato Ruslan Dmytrenko evidentemente in giornata negativa.
Gli Italiani: Giorgio Rubino è 12° in 40:56 - Leonardo dei Tos è 25° in 42:35 - Francesco Fortunato è 29° in 42:48 - Michele Antonelli è 34° in 42:12
Verso il 13° km cede di schianto Diniz che viene superato sia da Dzianis Simanovich (BLR) che da Matej Toth (SVK)
15 km:
Primo è Miguel Angel Lopez in 59:45, seguito da Aleksandr Ivanon in 1:00.06
Terzo è Matej Toth e quarto è Dzianis Simanovich.
Seguono Yohann Diniz e Ihor Hlavan
Poco dopo il 16° km viene squalificato Aleksandr Ivanov, lasciando quindi la seconda posizione a Matej Toth e la terza a Dzianis Simanovich, mentre Diniz è quarto e Hlavan quinto.
Gli Italiani: Giorgio Rubino è 16° in 1:02.11 - Francesco Fortunato è 27° in 1:04:24 - Leonardo Dei Tos è 30° in 1:04:46 - Michele Antonelli è 34° in 1:04:30
Gli ultimi chilometri sono un bellissimo assolo per Miguel Angel Lopez (1:11:46 al 18° km)
Staccato di 34” c’è Matej Toth, seguito da Diniz che ha raggiunto e staccato di qualche metro Simanovic (a 22” da Toth).
Vince Lopez in 1:19:52, secondo Matej Toth in 1:20:33 e terzo Yohann Diniz (1:20:37).
Seguono Simanovic e al quinto posto Hlavan.
Gli Italiani: Giorgio Rubino è 11° in 1:22:55 - Francesco Fortunato è 29° in 1:27:04 - Leonardo Dei Tos è 31° in 1:27:34 - Michele Antonelli è 33° in 1:28:17.
Classifica a squadre della 20 km uomini
1.- Germania con 32 punti
2.- Russia con 35 punti
3.- Ucraina con 37 punti
4.- Francia con 57 punti
5.- Spagna con 58 punti
(English version)
50 km men
Starting promptly at 8:00 and immediately the two Russians Ivan Noskov and Mikhail Ryzhov unexpectedly followed by the Italian Marco De Luca who usually races in recovery.
Towards the 4th km (18:07) the Polish Grzegorz Sudol (18:47) from the pack (18:57) and try to catch the leaders while shortly after De Luca comes off is a few meters.
Split time at 5 km: two Russian in 22:35, De Luca in 22:39. The others follow.
At 10 km:
Noskov and Ryzhov lead the race in 44:46 Ryzhov.
In third place in 45:01 De Luca charged, however, by a red card for no contact.
Fouth Sudol in 46.17.
The other Italians: Federico Tontodonati is 9th in 46:42, Teodorico Caporaso is 16th in 47:21, Lorenzo Dessi is 22nd in 48:25.
At 20 km:
Still leading the Russian couple in 1:29:00
Always in third place Marco De Luca in 1:29:50
Sudol always fourth in 1:31:32.
The Belarusian Trotsky was DQed.
The other Italians: Federico Tontodonati is 12th in 1:32:28, Teodorico Caporaso is 15th in 1:34: 06, Lorenzo Dessi is 21st in 1:36:38.
At 30 km:
Still leading the Russian couple in 2:13:14
Always in third place Marco De Luca in 2.15:47
For fourth place the Ukrainian Ivan Banzeruk (2.16: 54) has passed Sudol (2:17:14)
Are DQes the race walk Spanish, monument Jesus Angel Garcia Bragado, the other Spaniash Marc Tur and the Hungarian Lukas Gdula.
The other Italians: Federico Tontodonati is 12th in 2:18:33, Teodorico Caporaso is 13th in 2.20:33, Lorenzo Dessi is 20th in 2:25:18
The race for the top positions seems to have already said everything, except a few surprises.
At 40 km:
Ivan Noskov and Mikhail Ryzhov in 2:57:24 with a split on the last 10 km of 44:09.
Marco De Luca is always third in 3:00:42 (44:54)
The Ukrainian Ivan Banzeruk accelerated trying to catch De Luca and passed fourth in 3:01:33 (44:37).
The other Italians: Federico Tontodonati is 10th in 3:04:33, Teodorico Caporaso is 12th in 3:06:45, Lorenzo Dessi is 16th in 3:12:18
At 45 km:
Mikhail Ryzhov has forced the pace (22:21) and passed in 3:19:45 in front of the teammate Ivan Noskov (22:25) in 3:19:49.
Follow Marco De Luca (22:41) passing in 3:23:23, and Ivan Banzeruk passing fourth in 3:24:25 (22:51).
The last 5 km are not a solo Russian. Both, now sure of victory, have a higher split time: Ryzhov (23:46) and Noskov (24:07). Marco De Luca with a split of 22:57 gnaws almost a minute; great race for him.
They finish in this order:
Mikhail Ryzhov, gold in 3:43:23 - Ivan Noskov, silver in 3:43:57 - Marco De Luca, bronze in 3:46.21.
Fourth is Ivan Banzeruk (UKR) in 3:49:09, followed by Roman Yevstifeyev (RUS) in 3:51:00.
But the surprise for Italy isn’t finished. With a very strong final Teodorico Caporaso (22:42) finished eighth in 3:51:44 (personal best - shattered the previous 3:56:45 achieved in the European Cup in the Dudince in May 19, 2013). Passport to the World Championships and Olympic Games assured !?
The other Italians: verti nice race for Federico Tontodonati ending 12th in 3:56:09 and Lorenzo Dessì arrived 17th in 4:04:46.
Finally a good test for the Italian Team of 50 km, which seems to came out well for the mourning of Alex Schwarzer and giving a precise answer to the soap opera of recent months.
Team standings of 50 km
1.- Russia, as forecast, with 8 points
2.- Italy, with 23 points, but with a best finish
3.- Ukraine, with 23 points
10 km Junior Men
The favorites of the eve were the Spanish and they did: the bring home two individual medals (gold and bronze) and of course the victory per team.
At 5 km:
Diego Garcia leads the race in 20:24; he has set the pace with these split time per 1,000m: 4:15, 4:04, 3:59, 4:04 and 4:01.
The team-mate Pablo Oliva (20:45) follows and leads a group of five athletes including the third Spanish Manuel Bermudez, the French Jean Blanchetoau, the Russian Vasiliy Mizinov and the Slovak Miroslav Úradník.
The Italians: Gregorio Angelini is 15th in 21:17 - Gianluca Picchiottino is 22nd in 21:46 - Stefano Chiesa is 39th in 22:33
In the second part of the race Diego Garcia continues his beautiful walk technically and also substantially with the following slits per km: 4:01, 4:01, 4:04, 4:05, 4:00. A second part of the race faster than the first allowing him to win quite easily in 40:38.
The fight for second place is resolved in favor of French Jean Blancheteau that to the 9 km mark force the pace and off the other Spanish Pablo Oliva.
Time: Jean Blancheteau an excellent 41.11 (personal best) and Pablo Oliva also the personal best in 41:19.
Fourth place for the Slovak Miroslav Úradník in 41:38 (PB) and fifth for the other Spanish Manuel Bermudez in 41:49 (PB).
The Italians: Gregorio Angelini is 11th in 42:42 (personal best), Gianluca Picchiottino is 16th in 43:26 (personal best). Stefano Chiesa is 34th in 45:53 with two red cards for bent knee.
Team standings of 10 km Junior Men
1.- Spain with 4 points, a landslide victory
2.- France with 11 points
3.- Germany with 17 points
4.- Russia with 20 points
5.- Italy with 27 points
20 km men
Immediately goes to lead Yohann Diniz (3:58 first km), following a twenty meters from the group.
After a round undergoes the first call with the paddle yellow for lifting but continues on his step and pass to 2 km in 7:53
Lead the pack Lopez, Strelkov, Ivanov, Hlavan and Boyez.
Force the pace Diniz (3:59 on the 3rd km) which now has an advantage of about thirty meters (17"), while Miguel Angel Lopez decides to accelerate followed by Denis Strelkov and Aleksandr Ivanov.
5 km:
Yohann Diniz is first in 19:55.
Miguel Angel Lopez is second in 19:58 followed by Aleksandr Ivanov (19:59) and Denis Strelkov (20:02)
The Italians: Giorgio Rubino is 9th in 20:15 - Leonardo Dei Tos is 28th in 20:58 - Francesco Fortunato is 36th in 21:22 - Michele Antonelli is 40th in 21:31
Towards the sixth km both Lopez and Ivanov reach Diniz and now are in three to lead the race.
Ivanov have received a red card for bent knee.
Go to lead Miguel Angel Lopez while rained yellow paddles against Ivanov. The pace is less than 4:00 per lap.
Ivanov now has two red cards against him and seems more in lifting instead of bent knee. It comes off a few meters Yohann Diniz.
10 km:
Miguel Angel Lopez pass in 39:53 Aleksandr Ivanov followed by a few meters.
Yohann Diniz has lost about ten meters and is at 6".
Fourth is Matej Toth followed by Dzianis Simanovich.
Force the pace Miguel Angel Lopez and gain again a few meters on Ivanov, while is dubbed Ruslan Dmytrenko obviously in bad day.
The Italians: Giorgio Rubino is 12th in 40:56 - Leonardo Dei Tos is 25th in 42:35 - Francesco Fortunato is 29th in 42:48 - Michele Antonelli is 34th in 42:12
Towards the 13th km Diniz is passed by both Simanovich Dzianis (BLR) and Matej Toth (SVK)
15 km:
Miguel Angel Lopez is first in 59:45, followed by Aleksandr Ivanov in 1:00:06
Third and fourth Matej Toth is Dzianis Simanovich.
Follow Yohann Diniz and Ihor Hlavan
Shortly after the 16 km is DQed Aleksandr Ivanov, leaving second place to Matej Toth and the third to Dzianis Simanovich while Diniz is fourth and Hlavan fifth.
The Italiansi: Giorgio Rubino is 16th in 1:02.11 - Francesco Fortunato is 27th in 1:04:24 - Leonardo Dei Tos is 30th in 1:04:46 - Michele Antonelli is 34° in 1:04:30
The last kilometers are a beautiful solo by Miguel Angel Lopez (1:11:46 at the 18th km)
At 34” is Matej Toth, followed by Diniz who reached and pulled a few meters Simanovic (22" by Toth).
Lopez won in 1:19:52, second Matej Toth in 1:20:33 and third Yohann Diniz (1:20:37).
Follow Simanovic and fifth place to Hlavan.
The Italiansi: Giorgio Rubino is 11° in 1:22:55 - Francesco Fortunato is 29th in 1:27:04 - Leonardo Dei Tos è 31st in 1:27:34 - Michele Antonelli è 33th in 1:28:17.
Team standings in 20 km men
1.- Germany with 32 points
2.- Russia with 35 points
3.- Ukraine with 37 points
4.- France with 57 points
5.- Spain with 58 points
(from website of European Athletics)
Men’s 50km
Mikhail Ryzhov was lost amongst a group of female walkers as he took 50km gold in the European Cup Race Walking on Sunday in Murcia - but the Russian winner was a man alone for the last seven kilometres.
He dropped team-mate Ivan Noskov when it mattered to stride on to a third medal success in three years. In 2014, he won the World Cup, and before that silver at the World Championships.
Such was the nature of races overlapping each other, the men’s junior 10k and the women’s 20k took place in between.
Even so, there were tiring athletes in both races who only briefly glimpsed Ryzhov as he swept past them.
Noskov held on for second, and Marco de Luca, sporting more red tape than a government form, was a deserved third.
The Italian wears the medical strapping to relax his shoulders, but he was as calm and cool as the other 29 walkers at 8am. Soon the two Russians and the in-form De Luca decided to warm things up.
Three laps into the 50 demanded, the trio forged 200 metres between themselves and chaser Poland’s Grzegorz Sudol, who in turn was 50 metres ahead of the chasing pack.
Noskov and Ryzhof cranked up the pace to make 5k in 22:35, with De Luca seven seconds in arrears. By 10k (44:46) the leaders had upped a gear, but the Italian was still tantalisingly close.
However, by 20k, the Russians were almost a minute clear and 13k later De Luca suffered. He was forced into a pit stop on lap 21 that saw him lose a minute, but not third.
Giving chase was Ukrainian Ivan Banzeruk who notched 2:16:54 at 30k, but although more than three minutes back led a team of talents with proven success in the World Cup, and were to claim bronze in this race.
Ryzhof was first to show his hand at 43k in a bid to break the bond with his compatriot, and when he did, the medals were decided.
Banzeruk was fourth, and unsurprisingly Russia won team gold, with Italy delighted at a third silver of the morning.
De Luca thinks he might finally have cracked it at age 34.
He said: “I am very happy and I think I did well, but it became difficult for me to do better because I had stomach problems and I had to stop for one minute to go to the toilets.
“This race was my season’s goal and the next is Rio (Olympics 2016). I am now sure to go to Beijing (World Championships) but it is not going to be my focus.
“This is not a PB, but I am happy.”
Men's 20km
There is no place like home - ask Miguel Angel Lopez.
The Spaniard knows the streets of Murcia like the back of his hand, and on Sunday evening he made them his own.
The homegrown favourite paced a scintillating walk to get clear at 9k and then enjoy the cheers, bravos and the rest of the race if not exactly in comfort, at least with a winning feeling.
Lopez has set his hearts on World gold to go with two European firsts, and believed when he was 27 he would be at the top of his game. He reaches the milestone in July.
If you tell yourself that long enough, and couple it with hard miles, the sky’s the limit. Lopez to win not only conquering the rest of the world in Bejing at the end of August, he wants Olympic success as well.
But he might have had his heart in his mouth soon after the start.
Yohann Diniz set off like his singlet was on fire. A first 300 metres was at lightning pace and 3:58 after Ik, the French world record holder for a week earlier in the year had creviced an eight-second gap on the chasing throng. By 3k (11:48) it had grown to 18 seconds to three chasers, Lopez, Ivanov and Denis Strelkov.
By the next time round, on a slight dog-leg of a course meant he was momentarily out of sight of pursuers. However, the chasing three had gone a marginal but significant two seconds quicker for the lap up to 4k.
On the next circuit the lead had been cut to a mere five seconds as quickly as it was forged in the first place, but Strelkov had been dropped.
It was deadlocked at 7k with Diniz, Lopez and Ivanov together, but the chasers were gathering to reel in the second Russian and did so after another 800m.
The split for the places came in the ninth lap. Diniz was shot out the back, clearly paying for his rash start, while Lopez had drawn a slight advantage out of Ivanov.
He grew the gap all the more when he saw the Russian had drawn two DQ cards.
After that, the chase for the minor medals took centre stage.
Diniz was caught and passed by Matej Toth, third in Dudince’s edition of the European Cup in 2013, who had Dzianis Simanovich from Belarus for company.
He was living just inside his comfort zone, but like the Slovak got a lift when the unfortunate Ivanov picked up the third and final card.
A second Belarussian, Dziubin passed his friend, but was quickly overtaken by Diniz who had gathered himself for a second go at a medal.
The second wind turned into a strong breeze as he whistled past Simanovich and finally settled a fascinating race that went with a heartening second Spanish win of the day.
Incidentally, Lopez’s 1:19:52 matched his Spanish national championship win in February to the second.
Lopez: The crowd was amazing and I live very close to the course, and I will be thinking about today when I am here in the future.
“It was tough, but I am very happy.”
Spain were provisionally edged out of the team medals by Germany, Russia and Ukraine in that order, whose strength in depth saw them win a second team bronze on the day.
Men's junior 10km
It’s been coming for a while - but Diego Garcia finally made top of the podium after a couple of near misses.
Roared on by an early morning home crowd in Murcia, the 19-year-old took the bull by the horns from the second lap and never let go.
Surprisingly, he was given a pretty easy ride, and although his face betrayed the effort, the gap to second allowed Garcia to high-five just about every cheering spectator over the last 150 metres.
Garcia won silver at the World Championships last year. Before that, it was bronze at the World Youth Championships in 2013, but this race was all but over after half way.
A blanket would have covered the first 15 on the 1k lap as they tore past 50k walkers already an hour into their race.
Garcia clearly took home cheers to heart as he forged a small gap on the second circuit that by 4k (16:23) had grown despite a slightly slower mark than the previous two. A dozen-strong group were vainly trying to stay in the Spaniard’s wake, but they were looking far more stretched than he was.
His fifth lap to reach 5k was a heart-bursting 4:01 as he revved up the pace, and only a major collapse was going to stop him.
The pack was whittled down to three after one of the Russian favourites Maksim Krasnov was disqualified at 7k, and clearly one of them was going to miss out on a medal.
It turned out to be Ukrainian Miroslav Uradnik who came off the pack with two laps to go. For a moment it looked as if it was going to be a Spanish one-two, but Frenchman Jean Blancheteau battled with head bowed to get the better of Pablo Oliva over a tough last circuit and decide the medals.
Garcia was ready and waiting to greet Oliva at the end with arms thrown around each other in celebration. Both are trained by same coach, José Antonio Quintana, and both do six sessions a week together.
The winner admitted to a touch of nerves as he went for broke.
“I was on my own during the last race in the World Championships in Oregon,” Garcia added. “I didn’t know how my body would react but this time, it did not bother me.
“I trained to win this race and we were hoping for a one, two. Bringing the gold medal home in my home country is even more important than the next competition in Sweden at the European Junior Championships.”
For Blancheteau, it was a quantum leap from a personal best 42:34 to silver and a 41:11 thanks to an increased workload.
He said: “I have doubled my training, I have gone from three or four sessions a week to six or seven. a week and I now train in Nancy.”
The walker originally from Bourgogne admitted he had gone through the gears to claim his success.
He said: “The first half of the race was slow and tactical but the second was so fast.”