118 CHA

Under a sun of justice and a heat that did not give truce from dawn, Arguedas lived his XXVI Extreme Bardenas this Sundaya cycling test that this time brought together 782 bikers on the roads and tracks of the Biosphere Reserve and that He was first in the goal of the main test Joanes Gárriz, a native of Valcarlosafter 3 hours 52 minutes and 51 seconds of agonized pedaling topped on the goal installed on Raimundo Lanas street, next to the school, at an average speed of more than 29 km/h.

After the Luzaidarra, winner of the short test in 2024, Low half a minute came the Valtierrano Javier Guillore (3:53:25)while Xabin Lazcano was third (3:53:41) after overcoming Pedro Luis Lacosta for only 1 second. For its part, In females the best was Carmen Small (5:04:47)which beat Zoraida Castillejo for more than 20 minutes (5:27:30), which in turn took a wide advantage to Celia Redín, third (5:38:47).

The enormous biciclist procession, which suffered 91 withdrawn for various causesdeparted at 8:30 hours from Arguedas in the direction of neighboring Valtierra and Sendaviva, gateway to Bardenas Reales, where the circuit went up to the yoke, where iconic moments were revived, as well as in Castildetierra and in the usual bardner repeches, which exceeded 10% in many cases.

Besides, The circuit passed through Aguilares, the shooting polygon, the El Ferial reservoir, and surrounded the ral and the ralónother geographical accidents of the Ribero desert, which for the second time two tests, a long and a short one, shared by the first 50 kilometers.

A hot day that did not subtract spectacularly to the ‘Desert Challenge’, organized by the Arguedano Cycling Club. The long challenge had 360 brave, it consisted of 113 kilometers -145 in 2024- and 1,232 meters of unevenness; While the short, 83 kilometers -94 in 2024-, had 422 participants and an accumulated slope of 997 meters. A tour that had as a goal Álvaro Muntadas (3:11:31)ahead of Manel Zufiaurre (3:12:50) and Manuel Garrido (3:13:36). For its part, the fastest was Pilar Ureña (3:36:30), ahead of Ana Estella (3:45:50) and Adriana Martín (3:53:00).

They were also awarded as younger participants Arguedana Elsa Jiménez, who was just 16 years oldthe minimum age, yesterday, and Marc Arroyo; And as the most veterans Marisa Zubieta, who reissued the recognition of last year, and Manuel García Cillero, 75, who lived a placid edition. “I love and enjoy a lot. So much, that I have not felt the heat, nor have I sweated, although there was a lot of dust,” said the Valtierrano, with about 12 or 15 races on his legs. “I am a bardnero and I love this,” said Garcia, who claimed to be “new” as soon as he gets out of a bicycle that uses everything he can. “And I will continue to do so while I can, although I think this is the last year that I can participate by age issue,” he lamented

It was a hard and dusty day, watered with a torrid breeze, by the Natural Park, played under the announced orange alert by high temperatures, which slaughtered the slaughter the 35 degrees in the central hours of the daywhich forced the organization, formed by more than 200 volunteers, to anticipate and reinforce the supplies (5 liquids and 3 solids in the long test, and 3 liquids and 2 solids in the short) of a new challenge that has already begun to pedal towards the next edition.