Author: Editor

The French skater of the EOSkate World Team Nolan Beddiaf and the Colombian rider of El Pilar Marianistas de Vitoria Aura Quintana have been proclaimed absolute winners of both the stage between Pamplona and Puente La Reina and of the general classification of the P2P 2021. By adding their victories to those of Saturday's race between Zubiri and Pamplona, both have demonstrated their dominance in the toughest marathon in the world.

However, the victory was not easy for them: Nolan Beddiaf escaped up Ciriza, in the middle of the race, but the Basque rider Rafael Heredia and the Frenchman Hugo Gerard managed to reach him forming a trio at the head of the race. Meanwhile, in the third peloton of the race, the women's podium of the first stage was again up for grabs: Aura Quintana was accompanied by the Navarrese Maite Ancín and the French rider Marine Lefeuvre in a group with 4 other skaters, and together they would reach the top of the Alto de Orendáin, just six kilometres from the finish line. Lefeuvre was left behind shortly before reaching the top of the mountain and the women's race was decided in a thrilling sprint between Quintana, the winner, and Ancín, the runner-up.

Ahead, Nolan Beddiaf made the final push 500 metres before the summit of Orendáin, as did the women. Once he had escaped with barely 200 metres to go, neither Rafael Heredia nor Hugo Gerard were able to catch him on the descent and the flat before the finishing straight. Heredia completed a great race, taking second place and Hugo Gerard came in third, twenty seconds behind.

Nolan Beddiaf thus revalidates his title as champion of the 2019 event, as there was no P2P in 2020. Aura Quintana succeeds Maite Ancín in the women's race.

The day was completed with this year's challenge on the finishing straight in Puente La Reina: a 110-metre relay duel between the athletes Nerea Bermejo and Íñigo Pérez against the skaters Ruth Arza and Jonathan Galar. And against all odds, the athletes prevailed over the skaters: the slight uphill slope favoured Nerea Bermejo in the first relay, who came out ahead of Ruth Arza. While the athlete Íñigo Pérez took the baton from Nerea, Jonathan was forced to wait for Ruth to touch him in order to be able to take his first stride. In spite of his efforts, the 55 second metres were for Íñigo, so that in 11 seconds the team of athletes crossed the finish line and in 13 seconds the skaters did so. A perfect culmination to a complete weekend of skating.

French skater Nolan Beddiaf, from the EOSkate World Team, and Colombian rider Aura Quintana from El Pilar Marianistas de Vitoria won the first stage of the P2P 2021 in a fast and exciting race, decided in the last kilometres.

Despite the rain that fell during the morning, the course was dry at the start in the town of Zubiri, and throughout the entire route. This favoured a high pace right from the start. In the first kilometres, the runners from El Pilar Marianistas set the pace of the race, trying to avoid a breakaway that arrived after the fifth kilometre. The overall winner of the last edition, Nolan Beddiaf and his teammate Martin Ferrie tested the strength of a peloton formed by about fifty skaters at the head of the race, including a good group of skaters among which were the favourites.

The race became tense at the flying goal of Zabaldica, at kilometre 12, with a sprint that Patxi Peula won, making it clear that he was strong enough for the rest of the race. The women's flying goal was won by Colombian Aura Quintana in a tight sprint with Maite Ancín.

Despite several breakaway attempts, the group reached the town of Huarte at kilometre 15 of the race. In the main street of the town, after a 90-degree right turn, Nolan Beddiaf made the attack that would ultimately prove to be definitive. From there to the finish line, the French rider rode alone, trying to avoid the peloton on the final slope of Curtidores, already in Pamplona. Beddiaf won the Zubiri - Pamplona with a time of 28'50". The second and third places were decided in a sprint a few seconds later, with the Basque Patxi Peula second and the winner's team-mate, Martin Ferrie, third. 

A minute later, Colombian Aura Quintana from El Pilar Marianistas arrived at the finish line. She won the women's race ahead of Marine Lefeuvre from France, who could not keep up with her in the last kilometre, and Maite Ancín from Navarre, who arrived a few metres behind.

From there to the end of the race 550 skaters crossed the finish line in Bosquecillo street in Pamplona, with the end of the peloton arriving 60 minutes after the starting gun was fired in Zubiri.