Trofeo Colonia del Sacramento is a difficult challenge for the riders as they head for the southwestern corner of Uruguay. The race sets off from Canelones, capital of the eponymous province despite being dwarfed in size by Las Piedras and Ciudad de la Costa. This city takes its name from a type of cinnamon commonly grown nearby.
The main decisive factor in this race is the sterrato (gravel roads), and there’s a lot...
Read moreTrofeo Colonia del Sacramento is a difficult challenge for the riders as they head for the southwestern corner of Uruguay. The race sets off from Canelones, capital of the eponymous province despite being dwarfed in size by Las Piedras and Ciudad de la Costa. This city takes its name from a type of cinnamon commonly grown nearby.
The main decisive factor in this race is the sterrato (gravel roads), and there’s a lot of it. This sectors will create significant time gaps and therefore prevent a pure sprinter to win the race. There are six sterrato sectors in the race, which combine for a total of a whopping 56,3km of unpaved roads, the last of which is just 7km from the line. The first stretch is the longest, at 16,6km in length, on the well-known Camino del Carretón. There is some respite after this however, with a 20km tarmac stretch as the riders head toward the coast; after a couple more stretches the riders arrive in the town of Juan Lacaze. Where we find an 11km sterrato sector and around 50km from the line. So this could be where the first real moves in earnest come, especially as at the 130km mark, this is where the endurance of the riders starts to prove a challenge for them.
The rest of the race sees us crossing over the Ruta 1 highway from Montevideo to Colonia del Sacramento, an old colonial outpost and trading hub on the Río de la Plata that has changed hands a number of times between Spain and Portugal in colonial days, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its historic architecture.
The winner in heart of Colonia del Sacramento will be the rider that have handle the unpaved roads best on his way to the coast of Uruguay.
