{"id":55769,"date":"2025-09-27T14:18:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T14:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/paula-ostiz-taco-storms-to-historic-junior-rainbow-jersey-for-spain-in-kigali\/"},"modified":"2025-09-29T08:52:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T08:52:08","slug":"paula-ostiz-taco-storms-to-historic-junior-rainbow-jersey-for-spain-in-kigali","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/paula-ostiz-taco-storms-to-historic-junior-rainbow-jersey-for-spain-in-kigali\/","title":{"rendered":"Paula Ostiz Taco storms to historic junior rainbow jersey for Spain in Kigali"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>{{Spain takes control early<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>The 74-kilometre showdown kicked off at 8:20 am, with fans packing the climbs and roundabouts to cheer every move. Spain wasted no time showing intent. Leyre Almena Requena lit up the opening hour, going solo and stringing out the peloton. Her attack forced the rest of the field to burn matches early.<\/p>\n<p>Crashes and mechanicals shaped the race long before the finale. Italy\u2019s Giada Silo slid out on a slick corner but clawed back, while Dutch world time trial champ Megan Arens never looked at ease on the ascents and eventually faded to 20th.<\/p>\n<p>Africa roared when Tsige Kiros of Ethiopia chased back after a costly mechanical on the cobbles. Determined and fearless, she rejoined the front group, stirring the Kigali crowds.<\/p>\n<p>But it was Switzerland\u2019s Anja Grossmann who dictated the pace, marking every dangerous move and keeping the peloton under control. Britain\u2019s Arabella Blackburn tested the field, the Australians stayed watchful, and Spain quietly shielded Ostiz, saving her legs for the finale.<\/p>\n<p>{{The final lap explodes<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>With two laps to go, 37 riders were still in the hunt. Czech rider Antonie Cermanova and Dutch Roos Muller launched daring attacks, only for Grossmann to snuff them out. Greece\u2019s Stampori had a go too, but Spain reeled her in.<\/p>\n<p>By the bell lap, just 24 remained. The heat was biting, and bottles were tossed. Then came the race\u2019s make-or-break feature: the jagged C\u00f4te de Kimihurura.<\/p>\n<p>Grossmann hit the gas on the final cobbled climb, shredding the group. Kiros finally cracked, joined by Australia\u2019s Tuffy S and Britain\u2019s Erin Boothman, whose bad luck with mechanical issues resurfaced and ended her day.<\/p>\n<p>{{The rainbow sprint<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>Five riders crested the climb together \u2014 Grossmann, Italy\u2019s Chantal Pegolo, and a perfectly poised Ostiz among them. With 200 meters to go, the Spaniard unleashed her sprint. Calm all day, she rocketed past her rivals in an unstoppable burst.<\/p>\n<p>All three podium finishers clocked 2:09:19, but Ostiz\u2019s raw speed gave her clear daylight at the line. Pegolo and Grossmann settled for silver and bronze.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a dream come true,\u201d Ostiz said, fighting back tears as she celebrated Spain\u2019s breakthrough. \u201cMy family is watching me now, and I can only thank God. I knew I had to save my strength until the end because the climbs were tough. I trusted my sprint, and it worked when it mattered most.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>{{Pride for the hosts<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>The home crowd had reason to cheer, too. Rwanda\u2019s Yvonne Masengesho and Liliane Uwiringiyimana toughed out the savage course to finish 48th and 49th from a 73-rider start. They were loudly applauded as they completed each lap.<\/p>\n<p>{{Women\u2019s Junior Road Race \u2014 Top 10<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>1. Paula Ostiz Taco (ESP) \u2014 2:09:19<br \/>\n2. Chantal Pegolo (ITA) \u2014 2:09:19 (+0)<br \/>\n3. Anja Grossmann (SUI) \u2014 2:09:19 (+0)<br \/>\n4. Sidney Swierenga (CAN) \u2014 2:09:19 (+0)<br \/>\n5. Giada Silo (ITA) \u2014 2:09:22 (+3)<br \/>\n6. Thais Poirier (FRA) \u2014 2:09:22 (+3)<br \/>\n7. Tsige Kiros (ETH) \u2014 2:09:22 (+3)<br \/>\n8. Neve Parslow (AUS) \u2014 2:09:22 (+3)<br \/>\n9. Maria Okrucinska (POL) \u2014 2:09:22 (+3)<br \/>\n10. Alyssa Sarkisov (USA) \u2014 2:09:22 (+3)<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-95256 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g112jatwqaai-98.jpg\" alt=\"Spain struck gold in Kigali as 18-year-old Paula Ostiz Taco delivered a perfectly timed sprint to capture the UCI Women\u2019s Junior Road Race world title.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-95253 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g117rgewsaad2jt.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-95251 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g116sqywqaacuuf.jpg\" alt=\"All three podium finishers clocked 2:09:19, but Ostiz\u2019s raw speed gave her clear daylight at the line. Pegolo and Grossmann settled for silver and bronze.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-95255 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g11-ao6wkaavcwg.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-95254 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g117qcfxgaaid0w.jpg\" alt=\"Switzerland\u2019s Anja Grossmann  settled for bronze.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-95252 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g117ushwaaa9_7g.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-95250 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g116utaxwaartro.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-95249 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g116vuhxuaacnmd.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spain struck gold in Kigali as 18-year-old Paula Ostiz Taco delivered a perfectly timed sprint to capture the UCI Women\u2019s Junior Road Race world title, breaking through on Africa\u2019s steepest roads to claim her country\u2019s first-ever rainbow jersey in the category.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000095257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[75],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-55769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-homenews","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000095257,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/g11-ao6wkaavcwglogo.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/g11-ao6wkaavcwglogo.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/g11-ao6wkaavcwglogo.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/g11-ao6wkaavcwglogo.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/g11-ao6wkaavcwglogo.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/g11-ao6wkaavcwglogo.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000095257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55769"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=55769"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=55769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}