António Morgado Triumphs at the Trofeo Calvià Amidst Rain

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

António Morgado from UAE Team Emirates-XRG celebrated a remarkable win at the Trofeo Calvià on Wednesday, marking a thrilling start to the Challenge Mallorca series. Despite torrential rain, Morgado surged to the front, ultimately outpacing Spain’s Héctor Álvarez in Palmanova.

The race featured a series of steep climbs that tested the riders early on. Notable competitors such as Adrien Boichis (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Ådne Holter (Uno-X Mobility), and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) initially formed a lead of over 90 seconds before hitting the penultimate ascent.

With 33km to go, Morgado executed a critical attack in the challenging conditions, with Álvarez being the only rider able to keep pace as they worked together to close the gap on the leading trio. By the time they reached Coll de sa Gramola, the five racers were tightly grouped at the front.

On the final ascent, the Coll de Soma, it was Álvarez who made the first move, but Morgado quickly matched his pace, leaving the pair to battle it out in a thrilling sprint finish where Morgado emerged victorious.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG also boasted two additional top-10 finishes, with Nils Politt and Rune Herregodts taking eighth and ninth respectively, setting a promising tone for their season ahead.