The classic that Carlos Verona dreamed of sees the light

Less than a month ago, on May 25, Carlos Verona escaped the Giro d'Italia and attacked on Monte Dori to win the stage in Asiago . After 13 seasons as a professional, he achieved his first stage victory in a Grand Tour—he has competed in 16 and only retired once. In the Italian round, the Lidl-Trek rider wore number 118. Today, Verona will wear number 1 for the inaugural Andorra MoraBanc Classic. Not a coincidence. It's his race. Literally.

Because, in the style of former footballer Piqué, who founded the Kings League , Verona, a 32-year-old Madrid native who has lived in the Pyrenees for a decade—he speaks fluent Catalan—turned entrepreneur to found a one-day event in Andorra that has become a full part of the European cycling calendar. “It was only a matter of time before there was a classic here in Andorra, where cycling is booming. It deserved it. There are many rides but no professional races,” the promoter explains in conversation with this newspaper.

The route was bound to be tough. Our strengths are the mountains and the proximity to the Tour. Carlos Verona Cyclist and promoter of the event

The idea has been on Verona's mind for some time. "Over coffee with Gerard Riart, former president of the Andorran Federation, we began to take shape."

The runner had a clear idea of ​​some of the characteristics he wanted for his route. His imagination ran wild. "Before becoming a cyclist, I considered myself a dreamer," he describes himself. And he's succeeded.

In 140 kilometers Six passes are climbed: Envalira, Ordino, La Comella, Engolasters (camouflaged as a special sprint), Beixalís and the final at Coll de la Botella

Just like with the Clásica Jaén, Paraíso Interior had to find its space and style. The Andalusian race, which was launched in 2022, takes place in February and is notable for the sterrato , in the wake of the Strade Bianche. “You have to find your own identity to attract attention, do something different, and the profile had to be tough. I was very clear about that, because our strengths are the mountains and the proximity to the Tour, which starts on July 5,” he recalls.

"As a tribute, I also wanted to visit the seven parishes of Andorra," he explains. And the result is spectacular on paper. Six mountain passes are climbed in 140 kilometers: Envalira, Ordino, La Comella, Engolasters (disguised as a special sprint), Beixalís, and a summit finish at Coll de la Botella, in La Massana, where Verona lives.

I would like Andorra to be the cycling capital between the end of the Dauphiné and the Tour” Carlos Verona Cyclist and promoter of the event

The final 5 kilometers of the day will have an average gradient of almost 8%. A final burst of speed means the first winner must necessarily be a top-level rider. And at the start, the favorites are Enric Mas (Movistar), Esteban Chaves and Hugh Carthy (Education First), Tom Pidcock (Q36.5), and the Dane Mattias Skjelmose, Verona's Lidl teammate who beat Pogacar himself in the Amstel Gold Race. The four Spanish UCI ProTeams teams are also participating.

The Verona project has already been launched—televised by Teledeporte—and he hopes it will be the beginning of a long tradition. “I would like Andorra to be the capital of cycling between the end of the Dauphiné and the start of the Tour,” he dreams aloud. Today it will be his turn to pedal and suffer with his invention, even though he has already won.