Will Barta Clinch Maiden Victory at Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana as Brandon McNulty Further Establishes American Dominance

It was a dream come true moment for Will Barta on Sunday. Well known for his exceptional time trial races, Barta managed to stamp his authority over the others as he clinched a solo victory at Valencia. The win in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana marked the very first time Barta won a solo race. Thus, the triumph tasted even more sweet for the Americans. The 28-year-old had a strong start to the race and kept his cool throughout. This could be attributed to the fact that no one was able to overtake Barta from the time he led the breakaway. 

However, the race was not all smooth for the Barta. There came a moment when his lead was being significantly threatened by fellow riders. In the end, not only did he win, but a fellow American, Brandon McNulty too, displayed exceptional skills to establish American dominance. 

Will Barta is elated after his maiden cycling win

Barta kept a steady pace right from the beginning. He whizzed ahead of his competitors at the category-one climb of La Frontera. From that point onwards, there was no looking back for the Americans. He bulldozed his way until it was time for the final 30kms of descent. At this point, the UAE made a resounding comeback as the 45-second lead of Barta looked feeble. However, Barta was too reluctant to give up his fight. 

Grinding his way out of danger, the 28-year-old managed to make it over the finishing line, having the slimmest lead of 8 seconds. Savoring a hard-fought victory, the Idaho native stated, “This feels really good. I’ve had some hard years in cycling… I was really lucky to have a team like Movistar continue to believe in me. So I am just happy to repay the victory… It is something you dream about, winning a professional race. I am really happy to be here and to win.” 

He further shed light on his doubts as he was furiously chased by his fellow participants towards the end of the race. Speaking about the same, Barta said that he did not want to make the calculations of how many riders were chasing him. He planned to get to the corners as fast as he could and put in all of his energy to pedal away to victory. In the end, that’s what worked for him. 

However, Barta was not the only rider who held the American head high. Brandon McNulty made it a sweet outing for the USA as he clinched the overall win. 

Brandon McNulty steers past challenges for the ultimate win

Brandon McNulty was sensing his chances of victory as well as he started the race with a significant lead. The 25-year-old had a 14 and 17-second advantage over Santiago Buitrago and Aleksandr Vlasov. However, maintaining the lead and converting it into a big victory was something that made the American tense. 

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Talking about the same, McNulty emphasized that he was confident about his physical conditioning as he had a great run in Mallorca. The rider further stated that commencing the year with a win was surely a huge boost in his confidence. Notably, McNulty was able to rack up just a solitary stage win before this. He won the Giro di Sicilia in 2019, and thus, a victory after almost 5 years would surely do him a world of good going into the season. 

What are your opinions on the story? Do you think Will Barta and Brandon McNulty will continue their good work? Let us know in the comments below. 

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