Today we begin our first stage race of the season. Setmana Ciclista Valenciana kicks off in Tavernes de la Valldigna with a 114km stage of two halves.
The race will see 25 teams (including 13 Women’s WorldTeams) and over 170 riders (including four out of the five previous winners) take to the start line to compete over some of the toughest and most challenging terrain on the international calendar. The world-class field will include last year’s winner, Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), who returns to defend her title.
Stages are varied, but one thing is for sure, the GC competition favours climbers who like both punchy steep ascents as well as long and steady mountain passes. With eight categorised climbs across the four stages, the first stage includes three of those climbs in the second half of the route.
“We have high expectations for the race,” says Team Manager, Simon Howes. “We’re excited about it and looking forward to it. We plan to take the opportunities when they come with various jerseys on offer, such as the Queen of the Mountains.”
The race will be live on the À Punt website with no geographic restrictions, or SportPublic TV. Stage one starts at 15:30pm CET.