Mayor Toni Pérez has stated that this is “a great opportunity for the world of cycling to get closer to Benidorm
Benidorm will host the Cyclocross World Cup on January 23, the first event in Spain after 11 years of absence
The event has been presented today in Madrid at the headquarters of the Higher Sports Council
Benidorm will host the Cyclocross World Cup on January 23, 2023, an event that has been presented this afternoon at the headquarters of the Superior Sports Council (CSD), with the assistance of the mayor of the town, Toni Pérez.
The Cyclocross World Cup is the most important and prestigious of the tournaments that make up the calendar of the winter speciality of cycling. It will be the thirteenth and penultimate round that will take place in Benidorm, which returns to Spain after eleven years of absence.
Riders such as Felipe Orts (Burgos-BH), the best specialist in the history of Spanish cycling, have not missed the presentation; Lucía González (Nesta-MMR), dominator of the national women's panorama and Kevin Suárez (Nesta-MMR), current number 26 in the world ranking. And along with them, team managers, representatives of different regional federations and the president of the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC), José Luis López Cerrón. The debut has also had the support of the president of the Superior Sports Council, José Manuel Franco.
Pérez has highlighted the increase in popularity of cyclocross in Benidorm, as it is a well-known point in the 'crosser' world since there are many runners who take advantage of the good weather, the air connections and the accommodation offered to train in the area.
The mayor has been convinced of the "unquestionable success" that the test will have, both in terms of public and participation, in addition to highlighting the city's "experience" in organizing major sporting and other events. “We have an organizational history since that 1992 cycling World Cup. Too many years have passed, just as too many years have passed since Spain has not hosted a cyclocross World Cup” he stressed.
The mayor described the event as a "great opportunity" "for the world of cycling to get even closer to Benidorm and that will allow the city to give back to cycling what it gives us, which is a concept of a city that We have been developing for a few years”.
In addition, the mayor has highlighted the importance of the appointment "for sports tourism, which is health tourism" and added that Benidorm is "a tourist leader with a great attraction in Central European countries, in which this type of cycling is very often”. Therefore, he has ended, "the Benidorm-Costa Blanca race will be a great promotional tool", which will also allow the main figures of world cycling "to have the opportunity to compete in a top-level event without facing long journeys".
For his part, Tomas Van der Spiegel, CEO of the World Cup organization, stressed that "Benidorm will be one of the main events of the next season." The president of the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation, José Luis López Cerrón, stated in his speech that this event in Benidorm "becomes a new benchmark for our cycling, which is an immense joy for us". Finally, the president of the CSD, José Manuel Franco, has indicated that the Benidorm test will be “an example of inclusion and equality since the prize money will be identical for men and women.