Cycling: defying the cold and the height, more than 20 cyclists cycled towards Ticlio for the first time in 1981

The race known as ‘Mountain’ was held for the first time in Peru and aroused worldwide interest for the extraordinary effort required of the cyclists. They even came from Japan to record it. Days before and as training, the enthusiastic cyclists traveled the route along the Central Highway.

Our special envoy Francisco Moreno Corzo closely followed the incidents of the competition. In the first stage, Santa Clara and San Mateo, the cyclists traveled a distance of 85 kilometers that took them from 2,350 to 3,140 meters above sea level.

At the start, the 29 runners left in a platoon at high speed until Ricardo Palma, from this point Ramon Zavaleta from Cusco (Cyclo Cóndor club) and Ricardo Rodríguez from Arequipa (Kiklos club) escaped and they got into a constant fight alternating in the command.

With a splendid sun they passed wheel by wheel, Puente Warts, Surco, Puente Quita Sombrero, Matucana; but in Viso Rodríguez “flat” the tire where it took five minutes and Zavaleta went to the finish line that was at the entrance of San Mateo, where a large number of spectators attended and applauded the pedalos.

This is how Ramón Zavaleta from Cusco won the first stage of the ‘Montaña’ tournament under the auspices of the Lima and Callao League and the organization of the Cóndor Cycle Club, chaired by Ricardo Malachowski.

In second place came Rodríguez with a time of 3 hours, 13 minutes and 34 seconds; in third Alfredo Castillo (Kiklos de Arequipa) and fourth Justo Sueros (Ciclo Cóndor).

The second day of competition started very early. From the beginning, Rodríguez and Zavaleta, considered the two best riders of the time, engaged in a sensational duel. Although they were closely followed by Angel Jara (Cubs-Míster) and Alfredo Castillo (Kiklos). But these were overcome before Chicla and Rodríguez and Zavaleta went ahead in a strong onslaught. On a sunny but cold track, with a rarefied air and inhospitable highlands, they passed swiftly through Infiernillo, Chicla, Yauli and Casapalca.

The ascent through the Ticlio lagoons was impressive and both pedaled as if they were on a flat track and thus Ricardo Rodríguez from Arequipa won this section with a time of 1 hour 35 minutes and 25 seconds.

However, the Cusco Zavaleta from the Ciclo Cóndor club, with a consolidated time of 4 hours 36 minutes and 30 seconds, won the cycling championship tallest in the world. Second place went to Rodríguez (Kiklos club), third to Alfredo Castillo (Kiklos) and fourth to Justo Sueros (Cóndor).

Zavaleta dedicated the victory to all the cyclists of Peru and especially those of Cusco, as well as to his mother María Alemant de Zavaleta. He also expressed that it had been a very tough test and against a worthy rival whom he congratulated for the victory in the last stage. When asked about the race, Rodríguez expressed: “This will be very useful for competitions abroad”.