Vuelta a Cuba Crowns Alcolea

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, Feb. 22 — The Vuelta a Cuba cycling competition concluded on Sunday with Arnold Alcolea of Cuba winning his second consecutive championship.

The 13-stage event crisscrossed the entire island from Guantanamo to Pinar del Rio before ending in downtown Havana.

Alcolea, of the Cuban national team, compiled an overall time of 44:02:37 hours, 37 seconds better than Jose Alarcon of Venezuela’s Sumiglov squad.  Yenier Lopez (Team Cuba) was third a minute and 22 seconds back.

Cuba was the top team with a time of 132:13:17 hours, William Bravo (VEN/Sumiglov) was the most consistent racer with 79 points and Jose Alarcon the top mountain biker with 28 points.