Description
January 24, 2026
Grand Prix San Salvador 2026 (1.1) WE – San Marcos – Puerta del Diablo : 74,9 km
The Grand Prix San Salvador continued El Salvador’s run of international women’s racing with a compact,
Show more...
January 24, 2026
Grand Prix San Salvador 2026 (1.1) WE – San Marcos – Puerta del Diablo : 74,9 km
The Grand Prix San Salvador continued El Salvador’s run of international women’s racing with a compact, selective one-day test of 74.9km from San Marcos to Puerta del Diablo. The distance discouraged elaborate long-range tactics, but the profile ensured it would not be a simple run-in: the decisive terrain was a long final climb raced in demanding heat, where positioning and pacing shaped everything that followed.
Francesca Hall won for Roland after committing on the ascent and finishing alone, holding a small but clear margin over Yuliia Biriukova of Laboral Kutxa–Fundación Euskadi. Irene Cagnazzo completed the podium for Vini Fantini–BePink, with the race settled by sustained climbing rather than a late kick.
A calm opening that pushed everything towards the climb
With the finish designed to reward the strongest climbers, the early kilometres played out with restraint. There was little incentive to force a move too far from the base of the decisive ascent, and teams rode with the expectation that the race would only become fully honest when the road tipped up for good.
That conservative rhythm mattered. It kept more riders in contention deeper into the day, and it ensured the selection, once it arrived, would be defined by climbing strength rather than attrition.
The route’s logic: a short race, then one long decision
Puerta del Diablo was the race’s centre of gravity, described as a sustained climb of more than 20 kilometres with a demanding average gradient. In that terrain, the key is not a single acceleration but the ability to choose a moment to commit, then hold a hard effort without oscillations that invite rivals back.
It is also a climb that punishes misjudgement. Riders who go too early rarely recover, while those who wait too long risk never getting a chance at all.
Hall’s winning move was built on sustained pressure
Hall’s advantage came from treating the climb as a sustained effort rather than a sprint set-up. She committed strongly on the ascent, created separation, and then turned the remainder into a controlled effort to the line, maintaining a gap that stayed consistent to the finish.
The nature of the win suited the course. A solo arrival here is rarely about drama, and more about the ability to keep a high pace when everyone else is doing the same but fading slightly more.
Biriukova manages the climb to secure second as the podium takes shape
Biriukova rode the ascent with discipline, limiting losses and consolidating second rather than blowing up in pursuit of a move that might not stick. That measured approach proved enough to hold off the next wave of riders behind.
Cagnazzo was the next best on the day, securing third once the climb had reduced the contenders into smaller groups. Further back, Paula Patiño featured among the stronger finishers inside the top ten, while Giorgia Vettorello was one of the more prominent riders from the Roland squad as the climb sorted the race into its final order.
Results :
 WE </strong> - San Marcos - Puerta del Diablo : 74,9 km
<!--more-->
The Grand Prix San Salvador continued El Salvador’s run of international women’s racing with a compact, selective one-day test of 74.9km from San Marcos to Puerta del Diablo. The distance discouraged elaborate long-range tactics, but the profile ensured it would not be a simple run-in: the decisive terrain was a long final climb raced in demanding heat, where positioning and pacing shaped everything that followed.
Francesca Hall won for Roland after committing on the ascent and finishing alone, holding a small but clear margin over Yuliia Biriukova of Laboral Kutxa–Fundación Euskadi. Irene Cagnazzo completed the podium for Vini Fantini–BePink, with the race settled by sustained climbing rather than a late kick.
A calm opening that pushed everything towards the climb
With the finish designed to reward the strongest climbers, the early kilometres played out with restraint. There was little incentive to force a move too far from the base of the decisive ascent, and teams rode with the expectation that the race would only become fully honest when the road tipped up for good.
That conservative rhythm mattered. It kept more riders in contention deeper into the day, and it ensured the selection, once it arrived, would be defined by climbing strength rather than attrition.
The route’s logic: a short race, then one long decision
Puerta del Diablo was the race’s centre of gravity, described as a sustained climb of more than 20 kilometres with a demanding average gradient. In that terrain, the key is not a single acceleration but the ability to choose a moment to commit, then hold a hard effort without oscillations that invite rivals back.
It is also a climb that punishes misjudgement. Riders who go too early rarely recover, while those who wait too long risk never getting a chance at all.
Hall’s winning move was built on sustained pressure
Hall’s advantage came from treating the climb as a sustained effort rather than a sprint set-up. She committed strongly on the ascent, created separation, and then turned the remainder into a controlled effort to the line, maintaining a gap that stayed consistent to the finish.
The nature of the win suited the course. A solo arrival here is rarely about drama, and more about the ability to keep a high pace when everyone else is doing the same but fading slightly more.
Biriukova manages the climb to secure second as the podium takes shape
Biriukova rode the ascent with discipline, limiting losses and consolidating second rather than blowing up in pursuit of a move that might not stick. That measured approach proved enough to hold off the next wave of riders behind.
Cagnazzo was the next best on the day, securing third once the climb had reduced the contenders into smaller groups. Further back, Paula Patiño featured among the stronger finishers inside the top ten, while Giorgia Vettorello was one of the more prominent riders from the Roland squad as the climb sorted the race into its final order.
<strong>Results : </strong>
<iframe width="100%" height="730" scrolling="yes" frameborder="0" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=27891&y=2026&lang=EN&cn=1" src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=27891&y=2026&lang=EN&cn=1"></iframe>)
