Celebrating a historic act in which the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, will hand over the flag of honor, the 42nd edition of the Independence Cycling Tour will be inaugurated next Monday from 10:00 a.m., an event that will mark the participation. of eight international teams and 10 national teams, who will be in open dispute for key team positions.
The National Palace esplanade will be the setting in which President Abinader will kick off one of America’s most important cycling events and become the first president to do so since the last period when Leonel Fernández ruled the country.
Together with Abinader, the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, is expected to attend, the main executives of the Dominican sport will attend the opening ceremony, along with the President of the Dominican Cycling Federation, Jorge Blas Díaz, Samuel Pereyra , Administrator of BanReservas; Plutarco Arias, Secretary of Health, Mayor of the National District, Carolina Mejía, and other officials.
Ismael Sánchez will want to conquer the Vuelta Independencia for the fifth time (2012-2016-2017 and 2020), but as always he will have strong competition as there will be around 120 more riders behind the armchair, including Roniel Campos from Venezuela. , winner of the famous Vuelta al Tachira barely a month ago, whose team Team Atlético de Venezuela took the palms in the overall test.
The traditional bike ride, one of the most important in America as the President of the Flag of Honor will begin his first route on the way to Boca Chica- Juan Dolio- San Pedro de Macorís- Cumayasa until he returns to Santo Domingo, with his goal being El Higuero, the route will be 156.5 kilometers.
For years, one of the most traditional and consistent sporting events in the country that will open its broad competition calendar, it will be dedicated to BanReservas Administrator Samuel Pereyra. For the start of the event, the most important figures of Dominican sport have been invited.
An attractive fair, combining competition with the caravan’s passage through the country’s main tourist poles, between landscapes, beaches, mountains and all the natural beauty that the Dominican Republic offers, will be placed in view of that wide legion of foreign riders who will actively perform in the event.
Although this time due to the presence of the pandemic in the world, some stages have been shortened, still attractive and historical places such as Rancho Arriba, San Pedro de Macorís, Monte Plata, Samaná among others will be touched.
Since Saturday, a health ministry medical team has spent hours running hundreds of tests on riders, members of the various teams, as well as the extensive support staff that traditionally work in the race.
For a week, the riders will compete in open competition for the first places in the event that will attract the attention of fans of this sport, both in Santo Domingo and in the various cities and towns where the cycling caravan will arrive to the sound of the sirens of motorcyclists and taxiing bicycles.
For this edition, seven international teams will be present, two from Venezuela, an equal number from the United States, one from Colombia, the selection of Curaçao and a combination of Puerto Rico / Bermuda, who will try to achieve a crown. last year by Aero Cycling Team with 71 hours: 09 minutes and 34 seconds.
While the national teams are the Inteja, the Aero Cycling Team, Doglocy, Fénix, Arcoiris, Asociación de Ciclismo del Cibao ACC, Moca San Cristóbal and La Romana.
In total, the event will comprise seven stages and will run approximately 1,050 kilometers worldwide. Veteran jury Genaro Mercedes will take charge of the event on his shoulders, while Bernard López will be the technical director.
Jorge Blas Díaz, President of the Dominican Cycling Federation, hopes it will be successful, admitting that the organization of this version has been and will be one of the strongest in recent years thanks to the presence of Covid 19. thanks to the will of entities that made it possible, as well as a group of men and women who have been striving to develop cycling in the country for years.
“We are confident that the race will be run successfully, we will do this with the correct protocol and the distance required today, with the completion of the various tests,” said Blas Díaz.
The fair will have great television, radio and written coverage. Informative summaries will be made each day on the different days that will be held on each date, it will be broadcast on the Dominican Olympic Committee channel.