In the climbing competition, which covered an altitude of 2,200 meters in 64 kilometers, Alleman finished twelfth after “a real off day” at 4:15 behind the 37-year-old Valero, who won Olympic bronze in Tokyo in 2020. The experienced Spaniard took it solo in Andorra, fifteen seconds ahead of multiple world champion Hector Leonardo Paez from Colombia. The Mexican Gerardo Ulloa finished third at more than two minutes.
After three of the six rounds, the differences in the World Cup rankings are small: Valero now leads by five points over Alleman, the winner of the opening round on Spain’s Costa Blanca. Among the women, Switzerland’s Anna Weinbeer leads after three wins in as many competitions. The next round will take place on Saturday, June 13 in the Italian Dolomites.
