The Grand Prix Presidente delivered a climbing test worthy of its place in the Tour El Salvador programme, with Dilyxine Miermont emerging as the strongest rider on the punishing ascent to Cerro Verde. The Ceratizit-WNT climber attacked in the final kilometres of the 47 km route from San Andrés, pulling away from her rivals to claim the win in 1 hour, 53 minutes and 57 seconds.
It was a short but intense race, defined by a final climb of more than 20 km at an average gradient of 6.7%. With the route steadily climbing from the archaeological park of San Andrés through the Pan-American Highway and onto the road to Cerro Verde, positioning early on proved essential. The peloton stayed largely intact through the first half before the climb did the sorting.
Miermont, who has shown flashes of form in hilly races this spring, picked her moment well. She followed the early moves and then applied pressure in the steepest middle sections of the climb, where the gradient pitched up into double digits. Her rivals couldn’t respond.
Morgane Coston and Petra Stiasny, both riding for Roland Cycling, rode a measured race and were rewarded with second and third on the podium. The pair worked together through the early part of the climb but were eventually forced to ride their own pace once Miermont surged clear. Their podium places underlined Roland’s strength in depth across this Central American block of racing.
There was also a standout performance from the Colombian national team. Angie Londoño climbed to fourth, just off the podium, and was the best-placed Colombian on the day. She was backed up by Karen Lorena Villamizar of Pato Bike BMC Team in eighth and Gabriela López, also representing the national team, in tenth. The trio all handled the heat and altitude well and remained active in the front group before Miermont’s attack split the race.
With 83 riders completing the demanding course, the Grand Prix Presidente once again confirmed its reputation as a selective early-season test for climbers and opportunists. The climb to Cerro Verde rarely delivers a large group sprint, and this year was no exception. It rewarded patience, timing, and the ability to sustain a high tempo over a long ascent.
Miermont’s win adds another international result to her growing CV and positions her as a rider to watch in the hilly races to come. The French rider will now look ahead to the Grand Prix Surf City, a longer race at 109.2 km but with less elevation gain, offering different dynamics for sprinters and all-rounders.
For the Colombian team, the result marked a promising sign ahead of the rest of the Central American campaign. Londoño, Villamizar and López all showed they can handle the terrain and heat, and may play key roles again in the upcoming one-day races.
2025 Grand Prix Presidente result
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