Hector Alvarez wins U23 European road cycling championship

Spanish cyclist Hector Alvarez of Lidl-Trek has won the men’s U23 European road race championship in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Alvarez secured the victory following a decisive attack 34 kilometers from the finish line. After being briefly caught, he utilized a high-speed descent to build a lead of over 20 seconds against a shrinking group of competitors.

The race featured a 22.1-kilometer circuit centered around the Mozjanca climb, which averages a 10.2% gradient. Following Alvarez’s solo effort, Jan Michal Jachowiak of Bahrain-Victorious took second place, finishing 20 seconds behind the winner. Belgian rider Niels Driesen completed the podium in third, 32 seconds behind Alvarez.

This victory marks Alvarez’s first win of the year, following strong performances at the recent World Championships in Montreal, where he placed third in the time trial and second in the road race.