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Felipe Orts celebrates his victory at the Spanish Championship in As Pontes RFEC
Felipe Orts to Debut His Seventh Spanish Championship Title in Benidorm

Felipe Orts to Debut His Seventh Spanish Championship Title in Benidorm

Sofía Rodríguez Claims Her First Title and Will Debut Her Red and Yellow Jersey in El Moralet and Foietes

Nicolás Van Looy

Benidorm

Martes, 14 de enero 2025, 11:10

Another year, and for the third time, the Benidorm Cyclocross World Cup event will be the dream stage for the newly crowned national champions to inaugurate their respective reigns following the championships held this past weekend. In the Spanish case, the event at El Moralet and Foietes parks will witness a historic moment as two Valencian cyclists, Felipe Orts (La Vila Joiosa, 1995) and Sofía Rodríguez (Ontinyent, 1999), will don the red and yellow jerseys in the Elite men's and women's races.

For Spain's greatest winter specialist of all time, Felipe Orts, the Ridley Racing Team cyclist claimed his seventh national gold in As Pontes (Pontevedra), breaking the tie with José Luis Talamillo and David Seco, thus becoming the cyclist with the most titles in history.

Meanwhile, Sofía Rodríguez ended a five-year winning streak of her teammate at Nesta-MMR, the Asturian Lucía González, in Galicia, securing her first gold medal at a Spanish Championship after three consecutive podiums (bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023 and 2024).

Following these victories, the Benidorm Cyclocross World Cup, to be held next Sunday, January 19, in the tourist capital of the Costa Blanca, will be, more than ever, a grand celebration for Valencian cycling, which can boast of having the national champions of the highest category in the 'home' event and, above all, for Felipe and Sofía themselves, who will enjoy a true hero's welcome on a course expected to draw over 15,000 fans from across Europe.

Felipe Orts and the Dream of a Historic Podium

Embarking on what is undoubtedly the best season of his sporting career to date, Felipe Orts will arrive in Benidorm not only as a seven-time Spanish champion but also as one of the clear favorites to secure a podium spot at the Foietes park, a moment that would be historic for Spanish cycling and would turn the circuit—and the rest of the city—into an unparalleled celebration.

The rider from La Vila Joiosa acknowledged, hours before facing the challenging As Pontes circuit, that after the demanding Christmas tour, the two weeks of the Spanish Championship and the Benidorm Cyclocross World Cup are the most tense of the entire season for him, given the high expectations placed on him.

After donning his historic seventh red and yellow jersey, Orts reiterated this sentiment by stating that "the Spanish Championship is a race I always approach with a lot of pressure, but I was able to race the way I like."

In a race he dominated from start to finish, the Alicante cyclist was able to "set my pace" and, as he emphasized right after crossing the finish line, "I didn't falter, and it's a pride to have been crowned national champion for the seventh time."

Sofía Rodríguez Prevents Lucía González's Record

The relative surprise of this Spanish Championship was led by Sofía Rodríguez, who, with a superb performance, dethroned her teammate Lucía González as the queen of Spanish cyclocross. The Asturian, who had dominated this event for the past five years (in addition to 2013), could not match the record of seven titles in As Pontes, which remains the exclusive domain of the now-retired Aida Nuño.

Immediately after crossing the finish line and before focusing on preparing for the Benidorm Cyclocross World Cup race, the Ontinyent cyclist expressed being "super happy" and explained that in As Pontes, she had to face "very difficult conditions on the circuit, with a lot of mud, and I managed to conserve energy to reach the final stretch with power and secure the victory."

Debuts in Benidorm

Beyond these newly crowned Spanish champions in As Pontes, the Benidorm Cyclocross World Cup event will also allow the public to enjoy the first appearance, as dominators of their respective countries, of cyclists such as Thibau Nys (Belgium), Tibor Del Grosso (Netherlands), Clément Venturini (France), Kevin Kuhn (Switzerland), or Gioele Bertolini (Italy) in the men's category, or Marion Norbert Riberolle (Belgium), Puck Pieterse (Netherlands), Amandine Fouquenet (France), Carlotta Borelli (Italy), or Marie Schreiber (Luxembourg) in the women's category.

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todoalicante Felipe Orts to Debut His Seventh Spanish Championship Title in Benidorm