September 15: La Bañeza to Íscar Vuelta a España 2023 stage 19 profile(Image credit: Vuelta a España 2023)Vuelta a España 2023 stage 19 map(Image credit: Vuelta a España 2023)Stage 19: La Bañeza to Íscar The mountains are done and the sprinters who remain in the Vuelta a España will be breathing a sigh of relief as they line up in La Bañeza and hoping the pressure of finishing within the time cut in the last two mountainous stages hasn't taken the speed out of their legs It not completely without bumps in the profile of stage 19 – although they are very small ones at that – but after the last couple of stages it will probably feel as flat as a pancake It is the second-to-last opportunity for the fast finishers so they hope to head into Íscar in a bunch but it is not only climbs that can get in the way of that if the wind stays calm or the sprinters team keep it together regardless it's a straight final run into the line at Íscar once once a big right-hand bend is behind them at just over 2km to go She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor Previously she worked as a freelance writer Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport The La Bañeza road races celebrate the Virgin Mary The only indication we are walking on a racetrack are the fluorescent orange signs on the walls of the buildings lining the street that read: Zona Peligrosa no public access.’ With less than 24 hours before the streets of La Bañeza are to host one of Spain’s last remaining road races work is just beginning on transforming the 1.75km maze of narrow streets into a racetrack a small dusty town in north-west Spain’s Castille province For the first couple of years it was an ‘unofficial’ event according to local journalist Oscar Falagan Moto Club Bañezano was then set up in 1954 to formally run the event as part of the town’s Festival of the Virgin Mary Aside from a couple of years when there were ‘complications’ some form of racing has taken place on the streets of the town each August ever since “For the local people this race is like a religion,” Falagan says Nobody earns money from it and everyone who helps in the organisation of it is a volunteer They are very humble people and they open their homes to the visitors and the racers.” or more accurately their garages and front rooms which are transformed into pubs all along the race route during the weekend A constant supply of Estrella and San Miguel quenches the thirst and fuels the enthusiasm of locals and visitors alike My interest was first piqued when I saw YouTube clips of the manic action and it’s a trip many people are making nowadays drive 300km north on the main motorway and you’re there On my first visit five years ago at least 25,000 people crammed into the town; this year it was double that according to La Bañeza’s tourism officer From 1977 until 1985 the Castillian venue was included as a round of the Spanish championship but a spectator death in ’85 – amazingly the only one in the event’s history – brought an end to La Bañeza’s place in mainstream competition It has since survived on a heady mixture of nostalgia and madness Spanish racers following in the wheel tracks of famous names like Ángel Nieto The field of more than 100 riders this year was almost exclusively homegrown Occasionally foreign road racing adventurers still turn up the nephew of Joey and Robert Dunlop and a 125cc aficionado made the pilgrimage a couple of years ago after seeing internet footage of the event Most of the riders are amateurs whose upper level of competition is Spanish championship at best But some have raced in the world Superstock series who has won the 125cc race in the past and finished runner-up this year The races involve four very different classes of machinery Pre-1972 classic machines (250cc two-stroke and 500cc four-stroke) have one race each Montesas and Bultacos dominate the stroker class Italian machinery the four-stroke category The most recently introduced class is Classic Super Series which is restricted to 650cc European bikes manufactured prior to 1984 and again Moto Guzzis and Ducatis are the most popular marques An exception is made for the Spanish-built 400cc Yamaha-engined Sanglas Given that most motorcycles manufactured in Spain in that era were two-strokes it’s hardly surprising there are three times as many of these machines entered than any other the 15-lap City of La Bañeza Grand Prix of Speed In 2012 there were no four-strokes in this race but this year’s winner was Antoni Castillejo Lorente on a Moto3 machine There is massive interest in the historic side of the race and the fans seem just as enthusiastic in their support of the classic racers as they are of the GP125 riders a line of awnings offering shelter from the blazing sun are pitched along the narrow lanes running parallel to the main start/finish straight This is normally a quiet residential street lined by houses whose accommodating residents are barricaded inside on race day by walls of straw bales built outside their front doors Practice is run in the relative cool of Saturday evening but the allotted start time of 5pm comes and goes without so much as a whiff of Castrol R in the air extra entertainment is provided by a procession of colourful giant cartoon characters marching through the pits led by a drummer and some flute players Snow White and the seven dwarfs plus Laurel and Hardy wandering down the street makes a surreal sight especially for crews still trying to coax their machines into life but this is a community event and everyone in the town gets involved After practice and qualifying for each class the action draws to a close as the setting sun casts an orange calm over the town The racers prep their machines for the next day’s racing and the crowds stream into the centre of town to enjoy a medieval-themed festival and presumably pay tribute to the Virgin Mary with as many pints of Estrella Galicia as they can get down their necks Sunday’s racing takes place in the fierce afternoon heat The Spanish two-strokes that sounded awful in their day are no easier on the ears now and are soon followed by the booming four-strokes A brief interlude sees the tension build before the 125 feature race Ángel Nieto’s sons and grandson are driven around the circuit to chants of ‘Nieto The lap of honour is a tribute to the ‘12-plus-one’ time Spanish world champion and former La Bañeza winner who had died just a few days earlier Although each race is hotly contested and huge celebrations follow every victory La Bañeza is about a lot more than just the on-track action Sometimes the most interesting scenes are at the side of the road as spectators seek better vantage points or camera angles Just how far the fans will go to get a good view is amazing the people behind lean even further to get a better shot on their mobiles Sometimes they jump back as they hear the bikes closing in the gap between fans and fairings often little more than a few millimetres Water-filled bollards separating the public from the racers pay lip service to OH&S since my last visit when the front wheels were shaving the toes of fans as they stood unhindered at the very edge of the kerbs The sheer force of numbers means crowd control poses huge problems for the marshals and local police Straw bales are still the protection of choice in La Bañeza and are used on the apex of almost every corner creating spectacular explosions of golden grass when a rider’s shoulder brushes them The bales create a new hazard as the following riders slither on the loose straw that gets dropped on the tarmac I witnessed at least two crashes caused by the errant grass There may be an element of madness surrounding La Bañeza and it’s hard to imagine such a race taking place around the streets of any non-latin town but the speeds are much lower than at events like the TT and the organisers limit risks with reduced engine capacities La Bañeza can be heart-stopping stuff to watch Oscar Falagan sums up their relief when he glances up to the heavens and crosses himself as the chequered flag falls on the final race: “There is peace in my heart,” he murmurs as the racing comes to a close without major incident Many riders have to make their way back through departing crowds as the streets are invaded as soon as the winner passes on his slowing down lap but within 10 minutes the streets are empty as the crowds dive into the bars Like some kind of fossilised remnant of motorcycle racing from a bygone era these unique races have been preserved in the amber of this sleepy Spanish town They were invented before the term ‘Health and Safety’ existed and continue today largely as if it still doesn’t It remains an incredibly unsanitised spectacle Go and see it before some soulless bureaucrat decides it shouldn’t be allowed At the 46th Bangkok International Motor Show adventure-ready scooters and enough two-wheeled wonders to make Aussie riders green with envy Global motorcycle event to raise funds and awareness for men’s health returns bigger than ever as well as soaking up all the on-track action at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit there’s a swag of other activities and attractions to keep you entertained A white hot wheatbelt tour of WA’s Federation pubs on a rollicking Roctane Yet another tick off The Bear’s all-time bucket list The take-up of electric motorcycles is nowhere near what many predicted which is why Royal Enfield is taking a slightly different approach with its forthcoming EV platform Check out AMCN’s Rallies & Shows Update August 2024 for a selection of motorcycle events taking place all over Australia If you have an event you would like us to… There are a heap of motorcycle rallies & shows set to take place from this weekend through to the end of the year Rallies and Shows Registrations have opened for the 2024 Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride to be held on 19 May 27-28 APRIL All British Rally The 2023 Walcha Motorcycle Rally will be held at Walcha Showground Camping will be open from 12pm Thursday; and welcome drinks are… AMCN took part in the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) again this year suiting up in what was a very wild and windy Wollongong Australia’s largest adventure motorcycle event  We all watch the Dakar and wonder… CAMP QUALITY’S MOTOCYC 2023 is the perfect excuse to explore the rugged beauty of Australia on a motorbike Here’s a quick look back at the 2021 event Australian Motorcycle News has been the fortnightly bible for all things motorcycling for more than 73 years the most in-depth racing coverage from club level through to world championship level and it’s written by people who love © 2024 Citrus MediaAll rights reserved.