Daniel Eliecer Sosa Ramírez was proclaimed this weekend champion of the Cup of tejeda 2023 Trailafter achieving third place overall (first in the elite category) in a disputed sprint with Joaquín Guerra in the Plenilunio Tejeda Trail, the last date of the cup after the dispute of the time trial (January) and the circular (June).
Daniel Sosa arrived as the leader of the competition, with the last test to go, a night race, which is held over a distance of 11.7km. The Club Hilera runner’s strategy was to set a strong pace from the start to avoid complications. However, in such a short race, any detail can influence the final result “I came out strong in the first three kilometres, but I had to stop to urinate and when I started again I had a flatulence that made me suffer until kilometer 8. From then on I felt comfortable again, but I was already in sixth position and with less than four kilometers to go. I gritted my teeth and gave it my all to climb up two more positions and place myself fourth with 300 meters to go and with the third classified a few meters away. So it was time to play the last step of the podium in the sprint and, this time, it went well”.
This third place, added to the two previous ones (second in the time trial and first in the circular) allowed the rider from Valsequillo revalidate the title in the Tejeda Cup, which they already won last year.
He also leads the Canary Islands Cup
The regularity that Daniel Sosa exhibits in each race is also valid for him to lead, at this point in the season, the classification of the Canary Mountain Races Cup, after obtaining a second place in the Pilancones Tunte Trail (Gran Canaria), a room in the Yaiza Extreme South (Lanzarote) and a third in Full Moon Trail (La Palma). “There are three more races left to finish the season (Lanzarote, El Hierro and Tenerife) and my goal is to try to dispute the title.”
After the last test in Tenerife, on October 14, Daniel Sosa will focus all his preparation on the Canary Islands Championship that will be held at the beginning of December “I want to dedicate myself 100% to preparing for the Canary Islands Championship because my dream is to get a good result to be part of the Canary Islands National Team and play in the Spanish Championship next year”.
When he started running he weighed 120 kilos
The history of Daniel Sosa is marked by constant work, the desire to improve himself every day and a Spartan discipline with training and diet. “In 2016, when I started training to run La Noche Mágica in my town, he weighed 120 kilos. In two months I lost 20 kilos and reached 13th place in the short modality (12km). From there I was convinced that I could have a chance if I trained hard and the results were coming”.
Last year, in addition to winning the Tejeda Cup, he made history in Valsequillo by being the first runner in the municipality to win the long distance (22km) of La Noche Mágica.
Without support you will not be able to continue competing
The Achilles heel of most athletes like Daniel Sosa is economic. Competing at this level requires an economic outlay that goes beyond the possibilities that a club can offer, because the expenses are enormous. “I am lucky to be part of Club Hilera, which helps me a lot, but if more support does not arrive, I will not be able to continue competing at this level next year because most of the expenses are paid for by me.” In addition to trips (to compete and recognition), registration, material or food and supplements for training and races, Daniel works with a personal trainer and a nutritionist. The Valsequillo runner is confident that this season’s results will contribute to adding both public and private support to be able to continue competing. “I also want to thank my company, SPAR supermarkets and my colleagues for the facilities they have always given me to attend the races”.
