Samuel Sánchez leads a peloton of 800 cyclists through the Sierra de Espadán in ‘La 10 Picos’
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The former professional cyclist, Olympic champion in 2008, has been the ambassador of the IV Desafío 10 Picos Sierra de Espadán, a cycling tour with start and finish in Onda and organized by the former Valencian cyclist Ángel Casero and the VCV – Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana team.
Onda. April 20, 2024. The fourth edition of the Desafío 10 Picos Sierra de Espadán was held this Saturday with a resounding success of participation. More than 800 cyclists have taken the start in Onda led by the Asturian professional cyclist Samuel Sánchez, who has been the ambassador on this occasion of this cyclotourist march increasingly consolidated in the national panorama. In addition to the hundreds of anonymous cyclists who have participated, professional cyclists Óscar Cabedo and Óscar Pelegrí, as well as former Valencia CF player Paco Camarasa, have been part of the peloton of ’10Piqueros’ this Saturday.
“It was a very beautiful march. I knew the area, especially the initial part of the route, but the end was also spectacular. I discovered in the Sierra de Espadán a real paradise for cycling, to get lost and be in contact with nature. I was telling Óscar Cabedo and Óscar Pelegrí that this is a luxury for professional teams. There is no traffic, the roads are perfectly asphalted, there are short and long mountain passes”, said Samuel Sánchez at the end of the race, which started at 8:30 a.m. and had two routes, one of 134.7 kilometers and 3,125 meters of positive ascent; and a short one of 65.3 km and 1,300 meters of positive ascent.
“The years are showing. I’m 46, but I can’t complain. I like to stay in shape, to practice sports, to go cycling. It’s always a luxury to ride with young cyclists, although sometimes it’s hard to keep up with them, but we had a good time, we had a good pace, so everything was perfect,” said Samuel Sánchez, who was clear about the strong point of this ride through the Sierra de Espadán: “safety”. “The deployment has been spectacular, both motorcycles and Guardia Civil. The crossings, the refreshment posts, everything was very well signposted. The descents and potholes were marked with fluorescent paint. Something that for a cyclotourist march is fundamental, which is to ensure the safety of all. Congratulations to Ángel Casero and all his team,” concluded Sánchez, who later presided over the awards ceremony and received a personalized painting by Miguel Soro as a tribute.
Finally, the director of the march, Angel Casero, wanted to take stock of a new edition, the fourth, of this Desafío 10 Picos Sierra de Espadán. “We are very proud to have consolidated a march like this in the province of Castellón. It has been fundamental the support of public institutions, mainly the Provincial Council of Castellón and the City Council of Onda, as well as the many private sponsors who have accompanied us for years. To experience a growth of more than 20% from one year to another is something to be proud of. We take out, as always, things to improve, and the 2025 edition we are convinced will be the best edition of ‘La 10 Picos’ to date. I invite bicycle lovers to give it a try,” concluded Ángel Casero.