Gastón Montenegro and Yessica Pérez have been the overall winners of the ‘La Bola-Pujada al Puig Major’ cyclo-sportive race, held this morning, with 800 riders taking part. They had the opportunity to ascend to the summit of Mallorca to conquer the Bola del Puig Major, at 1,436 metres above sea level. With a time of 1h06’29” in the timed section, Gastón Montenegro triumphed over last year’s winner Luis Borrás and Pere Amengual, who finished second and third respectively. Among the women, Yessica Pérez also claimed victory with ease, posting a time of 1h19’16”, ahead of Antònia Siquier and Margalida Perelló.
A total of 800 riders set off at 8:30 a.m. from the Specialized Mallorca store in the Són Rossinyol industrial estate, to tackle the 51.5 kilometres distance to the Bola del Puig Major. Along the route, participants faced a neutralised section, as a cyclo-tourist event, with all riders grouped together at an average speed of 25 km/h, up to the Sóller Firefighters’ facilities. Following this, the timed section of 29.3 kilometres began, up to the Bola del Puig Major, with an intermediate checkpoint at the Military Base to time the final 7 kilometres of the ascent. In this last timed section, Montenegro was also the fastest, with a time of 25’33”, while Addy Bamberg, with a time of 35’40”, was the fastest woman to complete the climb.
The weather was favourable for the participants, who enjoyed a great day of cycling and had the unique opportunity to conquer the roof of Mallorca, a summit that is closed to vehicular traffic for military safety reasons. The day concluded at the ACAR PUIG MAJOR – EVA 7 Air Base facilities, with a meal, trophy presentation, and a prize draw, including a high-end Tarmac SL8 bicycle, courtesy of Specialized Mallorca, valued at 6,500 euros.
This event would not have been possible without the permissions and collaboration of the ACAR PUIG MAJOR – EVA 7 Air Base, with its commander María Cruz Acero at the helm, who opened the base’s facilities for the day to allow participants to enjoy a unique ascent and the prize presentation on the base’s esplanade. Additionally, the event is sponsored by the Govern de les Illes Balears, which co-finances it with funds from the Sustainable Tourism Tax.