Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
Whenever a man's friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old. - Washington Irving
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Current Racing:
- February 5 - 9 Etoile de Bessèges/Tour du Gard
- February 5 - 9: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Upcoming racing:
- February 7: Muscat Classic
- February 8 - 12: Tour of Oman
- February 14 - 16: Tour de la Provence
- February 15: Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia
- February 16: Clásica de Almeria
Latest completed racing:
- February 1 & 2: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- February 2: GP La Marseillaise
- January 29 - February 2: Challenge Vuelta a Mallorca
- January 28 - February 1: AlUla Tour
- January 30: Surf Coast Classic
- January 17 - 26: Tour Down Under
- January 26: Classica Comunitat a Valenciana 1969
- January 25: Ruta de la Cerámica - Gran Premio Castellón
Here’s the team’s update:
A strong lineup is set to compete in the upcoming edition of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (UCI 2.Pro), scheduled from February 5th to 9th in the Spanish region of Valencia. Bahrain Victorious aims to build on last year’s success, where the team claimed the best team title, secured a stage victory with Matej Mohoric, and placed Santiago Buitrago second in the final GC while also claiming the white jersey.
Santiago Buitrago winning stage 4 of the 2024 Paris-Nice. Sirotti photo
This year’s race presents a different challenge for the General Classification (GC), as it opens with a team time trial in Orihuela, returning to Valenciana after eight years. The 34-kilometer route is expected to have an immediate and decisive impact on the GC, particularly as it precedes another crucial stage.
Stage 2 from La Nucia to Alto de Partegat features three challenging mountain passes: Col de Rates, Alto de Benimantell, and for the first time, Alto de Partegat, which is the only summit finish of the race. This stage is likely to shape the GC battle early on.
The third and fourth stages will traverse rolling terrain, favouring attackers. Stage 3 holds special significance as the route passes through Algemesí and other towns affected by last October’s DANA, with race leaders’ jerseys displaying the names of impacted communities. The final stage will start in Alfafar, another heavily affected town, before concluding in Valencia. The last day is traditionally a sprinters’ stage, though breakaway attempts may still play a role.
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Sports Director Roman Kreuziger shared his insights on the course:
“I believe the General Classification could be decided on the very first day. The opening team time trial is quite complicated, featuring a long route that will create significant time gaps. The key is to perform well there and be ready for stage 2 which might decide this edition. We can rely on Santiago Buitrago, who has already demonstrated strong form. He is our leader for Valenciana, alongside Lenny Martinez. Additionally, we have an experienced road captain in Pello Bilbao, who is in great shape and excited to begin his season. Stages 3 and 4 will likely suit breakaways, and our riders could feature in those moves, depending on the race’s early GC developments. The final stage is usually for the sprinters, but the risk of echelons and narrow roads means we must stay vigilant until the very end.”
The team’s leaders will receive strong support from Rainer Kepplinger, fresh from a solid performance at the AlUla Tour, despite an unfortunate final day, as well as Jack Haig, Kamil Gradek, and Edoardo Zambanini, who is making his season debut.
“We have a competitive squad full of climbers, and our ambitions are high. Hopefully, we can replicate last year’s success,” concluded Kreuziger.
Bahrain Victorious is ready for an exciting week of racing, with a determined squad looking to make a strong impact at the Vuelta Valenciana 2025.
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Here’s the team’s news:
The Mediterranean coast of Spain continues to host the races that open the 2025 calendar for Team Polti VisitMalta. Starting on Wednesday, the five stages of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, a ProSeries category race with a high level of participation, will be held.
The route is always winding and demanding, but also with a start marked by a 34.5 kilometre team time trial with several uphill sections. If the overall is not defined, at least we will know the riders who will be able to fight for the final victory. The high finish in Benifató (1st category) of the second stage is a real day for climbers, as well as the finish in Alpuente with a 1st category pass less than 20km from the finish. The last two days, and especially the final one in Valencia, offer the clearest options for a sprint finish.
The profile of the first stage team time trial.
The Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana will be the debut for Giovanni Lonardi, the sprinter who achieved some of the best results for the team last season (including the victory in Turkey) and who will be looking to make his top speed count: ‘I am very motivated and I think that especially in the last stage we can fight for the victory. The rest of the days we will support the team and Piga to try to do well in the general classification’.
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Alongside him will be the climber and general classification contender Davide Piganzoli, who has already made his debut in the Valencian classics; the captain Mirco Maestri, the powerful and brave Fran Muñoz and Davide Bais, along with the versatile Samuele Zoccarato and Fernando Tercero.
Stefano Zanatta: ‘The first stage race of the season is always a challenge, but we broke the ice last week and we will certainly see the results of the training camp in Oliva. We will try to get the best result in the team time trial on the first day, that’s why we have a strong, solid and experienced team of riders. We will then fight in the mountains with Piganzoli and Tercero, in the sprint with Lonardi and with the rest of the riders to be protagonists.
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