The Vuelta Ciclista a Guatemala is currently being ridden in the central American state. 59 riders started their campaign on the 20th of October and the individual time trial from Salcajá to Mirador de Occidente over 14 kilometers is planned to take place today. "Not very news-worthy so far" we can hear you think.

However, women's cycling has Jeannie Longo and men's cycling now has one of those old time heroes as well. When we tell you that he wore the leaders jersey for four days in the 1993 Dauphiné Libéré after winning the prologue and the third stage, won both a stage in the 1989 and 1990 Tour de France editions, and received the Basque hat after winning the Clasica San Sébastian in '92, then you know we're not talking about your average rider.

He was born on the 3rd of March 1964 in Mexico. His professional career started in 1985, when he joined the American 7-Eleven team as a promising rider. In 1989 he made the switch to the Dutch based PDM team where he enjoyed his best years, mostly as a prologue specialist and sprinter. After riding for Wordperfect in 1993, Raúl Alcalá - as that's who we're talking about - returned to America and joined the 1994 Motorola setup to retire at the end of that season.

That is, until his name suddenly popped up in a Vuelta Ciclista a Guatemala result and after some research appeared to be one and the same rider. Alcalá already secured the Mexican ITT-title earlier this year. The now 46-year-old rider - currently riding for the Mexican Canels Turbo team - still appears to be in great shape for his age, and finished 11th in the first mass bunch sprint. The ITT is today and if it's not too hilly, we expect the name Raúl Alcalá to pop up in the top ten once again. Now that would be a come back, after sixteen years!

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Enlaces: Raul Alcala