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2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (2.Pro), Spain

76th edition: February 5 - 9, 2025

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana podium history | 2024 edition | Start list
Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5

Overall map of the 2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. Valencia sits on the eastern coast of Spain, facing the Mediterranean Sea

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Sunday, February 9: Fifth & Final Stage, Alfafar - Valencia, 104.2 km

Stage 5 map & profile

Jonathan Milan wins the final stage.

Les Woodland's book Cycling's World Championships: The Inside Story is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the finish city of Valencia at 2:20 PM, local time: 9C (49F), sunny, with the wind from the east at 10 km/hr (6 mph). No rain is forecast.

The race:

Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) & Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) did not start.

Here's the race organizer's stage five report:

Jonathan Milan wins the final sprint of the 2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
The Italian from Lidl-Trek takes victory at La Marina de València in a spectacular mass sprint. Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) is crowned champion of the

València, February 9, 2025: The fifth and final stage of the 2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, a completely flat 104 km route between Alfafar and La Marina de València, was decided in an exciting mass sprint, where Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) dominated with authority after impeccable teamwork. In the general classification, Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) secured his overall victory, also winning the points classification.

Stage development: early breakaway and peloton control
The day began with a breakaway of six riders: Jokin Murguialday (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Sinuhe Fernández (Burgos-BH), Joan Bou (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Quentin Bezza (Wagner-Bazin WB), and Nathan Smith (Team Novo Nordisk), who managed to gain a maximum advantage of 2’10”. However, the chase led by Lidl-Trek, Bahrain Victorious, and Israel – Premier Tech kept the gap under control at all times.

With 30 km to go, the peloton increased the pace as they crossed the Albufera rice fields, creating momentary splits in the group. However, the situation regrouped, and the breakaway was neutralized 3 km from the finish, leaving the outcome to the sprinters.

The final GC podium, from left: Joao Almeida (2nd), Santiago Buitrago (1st) & Pello Bilbao (3rd)

Explosive sprint and Milan’s victory
In the final stretch at La Marina de València, the Lidl-Trek lead-out train worked perfectly for Jonathan Milan, who launched his sprint at the exact moment to claim victory over Jake Stewart (Israel – Premier Tech) and Giovanni Lonardi (Team Polti-Vismalta). The Italian crossed the finish line in 2:09:53, securing his first win of the season.

Jonathan Milan’s statements:
“I knew it would be a fast and tough stage, with a lot of tension and the risk of echelons. My team protected me at all times and set me up perfectly. For a sprinter, starting the season with a win is very important. I already felt great yesterday, and the team’s work throughout the week has been excellent,” said the stage winner.

A dominant Bahrain Victorious in VCV 2025
With this fifth stage, the exciting edition of the 2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana comes to an end. Santiago Buitrago has shown his strength to claim both the overall and points classifications, while Bahrain Victorious also wins the team classification. Jonathan Milan, meanwhile, secures a brilliant sprint victory, confirming a strong start to his season.

Complete results:

104.2 kilometers raced at an average speed of 48.453 km/hr

1	Jonathan Milan	Lidl-Trek	2hr 9min 52sec
2	Jake Stewart	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
3	Giovanni Lonardi	Team Polti VisitMalta	s.t.
4	Gerben Thijssen	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
5	Xabier Berasategi	Euskaltel-Euskadi	s.t.
6	Sente Sentjens	Alpecin-Deceuninck	s.t.
7	Ethan Vernon	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
8	Miguel Angel Fernandez	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
9	Cesar Macias	Petrolike	s.t.
10	Michiel Lambrecht	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
11	Matyas Kopecky	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
12	Mirco Maestri	Team Polti VisitMalta	s.t.
13	Rory Townsend	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
14	Jelte Krijnsen	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
15	Filippo Fiorelli	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	s.t.
16	José Juan Prieto	Petrolike	s.t.
17	Simone Consonni	Lidl-Trek	s.t.
18	Hugo Scala Jr	Project Echelon Racing	s.t.
19	Lorenzo Milesi	Movistar Team	s.t.
20	Filippo Baroncini	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
21	Clément Alleno	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
22	Tyler Stites	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	s.t.
23	Ivo Oliveira	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
24	Francisco Muñoz	Team Polti VisitMalta	s.t.
25	Pablo Castrillo	Movistar Team	s.t.
26	Brandon McNulty	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
27	Bob Jungels	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
28	Santiago Buitrago	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
29	Matteo Sobrero	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
30	Davide Piganzoli	Team Polti VisitMalta	s.t.
31	Johan Meens	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
32	Jai Hindley	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
33	Julius Johansen	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
34	Andrii Ponomar	Petrolike	s.t.
35	Carlos Rodriguez	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
36	Thymen Arensman	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
37	Edward Theuns	Lidl-Trek	s.t.
38	Txomin Juaristi	Euskaltel-Euskadi	s.t.
39	Jose Maria Garcia	Illes Balears Arabay	s.t.
40	Pello Bilbao	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
41	Joao Almeida	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
42	Iván Romeo	Movistar Team	s.t.
43	Luca Paletti	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	s.t.
44	Edoardo Zambanini	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
45	Henri Uhlig	Alpecin-Deceuninck	s.t.
46	Ben O'Connor	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
47	Alexey Lutsenko	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
48	Filippo Zana	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
49	Declan Irvine	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
50	Jefferson Cepeda	Movistar Team	s.t.
51	Nico Denz	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
52	Milan Vader	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
53	Filippo Ridolfo	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
54	Jack Haig	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
55	Joe Blackmore	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
56	Jorge Arcas	Movistar Team	s.t.
57	Edgar Cadena	Petrolike	s.t.
58	Luca Covili	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	s.t.
59	Huub Artz	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
60	William Barta	Movistar Team	s.t.
61	Ivan Cobo	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
62	Louka Matthys	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
63	Hugo de la Calle	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
64	Floris De Tier	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
65	Jonathan Caicedo	Petrolike	s.t.
66	Unai Iribar	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
67	Jose Manuel Diaz	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
68	Aleksandr Vlasov	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	@ 15sec
69	Pavel Sivakov	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
70	Frederik Wandahl	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
71	Tobias Foss	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
72	Jasha Sütterlin	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
73	Jaume Guardeño	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	s.t.
74	Matteo Scalco	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	s.t.
75	Alex Tolio	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	s.t.
76	Lorenzo Galimberti	Petrolike	s.t.
77	Alvaro Sagrado Perez	Illes Balears Arabay	s.t.
78	José Félix Parra	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
79	David González	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
80	Jokin Murguialday	Euskaltel-Euskadi	s.t.
81	Alex Molenaar	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	s.t.
82	Gonzalo Ariño Bolinches	Illes Balears Arabay	s.t.
83	AJ August	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
84	Diego Uriarte	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
85	Bailey McDonald	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
86	Antonio Polga	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
87	Louis Meintjes	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
88	Lenny Martinez	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
89	Kamil Gradek	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
90	Mark Donovan	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
91	Gijs Van Hoecke	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
92	Quentin Bezza	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
93	Riley Pickrell	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
94	Hamish Armitt	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
95	Loic Vliegen	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
96	Robert Donaldson	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
97	Joan Bou	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	s.t.
98	Vojtech Kminek	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
99	Nelson Oliveira	Movistar Team	s.t.
100	Giovanni Aleotti	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
101	Gianni Moscon	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
102	Riley Sheehan	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
103	Christopher Juul-Jensen	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
104	Walter Calzoni	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
105	Jakob Söderqvist	Lidl-Trek	s.t.
106	Hugo Houle	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
107	Gianni Vermeersch	Alpecin-Deceuninck	s.t.
108	Daan Hoole	Lidl-Trek	s.t.
109	Michael Hepburn	Team Jayco-AlUla	1:19
110	Adrien Petit	Intermarché-Wanty	1:39
111	Ivan Sosa	Equipo Kern Pharma	2:04
112	Pau Llaneras	Illes Balears Arabay	2:11
113	Oscar Riesebeek	Alpecin-Deceuninck	s.t.
114	Rainer Kepplinger	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
115	Felix Grossschartner	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
116	Nathan Smith	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
117	Sinuhé Fernandez	Burgos Burpellet BH	2:28
118	Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier	Lidl-Trek	2:35
119	Alexander Kamp	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
120	Edward Planckaert	Alpecin-Deceuninck	2:47
121	Jonathan Castroviejo	INEOS Grenadiers	3:42
122	Davide Bais	Team Polti VisitMalta	4:14
123	Cade Bickmore	Project Echelon Racing	s.t.
124	Sebastian Berwick	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	s.t.
125	Kieran Haug	Project Echelon Racing	s.t.
126	Asier Pablo Gonzalez	Illes Balears Arabay	s.t.
127	Jon Agirre	Euskaltel-Euskadi	s.t.
128	Jose Marin Aragón	Illes Balears Arabay	s.t.
129	Caleb Classen	Project Echelon Racing	s.t.
130	Samuel Boardman	Project Echelon Racing	s.t.
131	Kevin Colleoni	Intermarché-Wanty	4:23

 

Final GC after stage 5:

• GC winner: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
• Mountains classification winner: Jon Agirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
• Points classification winner: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
• Best young rider: Carlos Rodriguez (INEOS Grenadiers)
• Teams classification winner: Bahrain Victorious

665.8 kilometers raced at an average speed of 40.859 km/hr

1	Santiago Buitrago	Bahrain Victorious	16hr 17min 43sec
2	Joao Almeida	UAE Team Emirates	@ 18sec
3	Pello Bilbao	Bahrain Victorious	0:39
4	Thymen Arensman	INEOS Grenadiers	0:42
5	Brandon McNulty	UAE Team Emirates	0:53
6	Carlos Rodriguez	INEOS Grenadiers	0:54
7	Jefferson Cepeda	Movistar Team	1:00
8	Iván Romeo	Movistar Team	1:07
9	Jai Hindley	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	1:31
10	Ben O'Connor	Team Jayco-AlUla	1:37
11	Lenny Martinez	Bahrain Victorious	1:57
12	Pablo Castrillo	Movistar Team	2:52
13	Tobias Foss	INEOS Grenadiers	2:53
14	Davide Piganzoli	Team Polti VisitMalta	2:56
15	Pavel Sivakov	UAE Team Emirates	4:07
16	Jack Haig	Bahrain Victorious	4:32
17	Aleksandr Vlasov	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	5:05
18	Alexey Lutsenko	Israel-Premier Tech	5:35
19	Milan Vader	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	7:30
20	Txomin Juaristi	Euskaltel-Euskadi	8:19
21	Andrii Ponomar	Petrolike	8:30
22	Clément Alleno	Burgos Burpellet BH	8:56
23	William Barta	Movistar Team	9:32
24	Ivan Cobo	Equipo Kern Pharma	9:34
25	Luca Paletti	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	9:38
26	Joe Blackmore	Israel-Premier Tech	9:39
27	AJ August	INEOS Grenadiers	9:55
28	Ivan Sosa	Equipo Kern Pharma	10:20
29	Filippo Zana	Team Jayco-AlUla	13:16
30	Mark Donovan	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	13:54
31	Giovanni Aleotti	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
32	Jon Agirre	Euskaltel-Euskadi	14:05
33	Floris De Tier	Wagner Bazin WB	14:20
34	Jakob Söderqvist	Lidl-Trek	14:28
35	Jose Manuel Diaz	Burgos Burpellet BH	14:56
36	Joan Bou	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	15:24
37	Luca Covili	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	15:38
38	Edoardo Zambanini	Bahrain Victorious	15:41
39	Jose Maria Garcia	Illes Balears Arabay	17:07
40	Jokin Murguialday	Euskaltel-Euskadi	17:44
41	Daan Hoole	Lidl-Trek	21:51
42	Matteo Sobrero	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	22:15
43	Riley Sheehan	Israel-Premier Tech	22:58
44	Jelte Krijnsen	Team Jayco-AlUla	23:03
45	Bob Jungels	INEOS Grenadiers	23:46
46	Edgar Cadena	Petrolike	23:59
47	Jonathan Caicedo	Petrolike	24:52
48	Louka Matthys	Wagner Bazin WB	25:08
49	Hugo de la Calle	Burgos Burpellet BH	25:45
50	Jaume Guardeño	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	25:54
51	Filippo Baroncini	UAE Team Emirates	26:05
52	Nico Denz	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	26:26
53	Mirco Maestri	Team Polti VisitMalta	26:50
54	Jasha Sütterlin	Team Jayco-AlUla	26:51
55	Louis Meintjes	Intermarché-Wanty	26:52
56	Gianni Vermeersch	Alpecin-Deceuninck	27:23
57	Frederik Wandahl	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	27:37
58	José Félix Parra	Equipo Kern Pharma	27:39
59	Matteo Scalco	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	28:23
60	Felix Grossschartner	UAE Team Emirates	28:54
61	David González	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	29:14
62	Jorge Arcas	Movistar Team	31:12
63	Diego Uriarte	Equipo Kern Pharma	31:15
64	Jonathan Castroviejo	INEOS Grenadiers	31:25
65	Lorenzo Galimberti	Petrolike	31:34
66	Alex Tolio	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	33:33
67	Jonathan Milan	Lidl-Trek	33:41
68	Walter Calzoni	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	33:44
69	Hugo Houle	Israel-Premier Tech	34:04
70	Christopher Juul-Jensen	Team Jayco-AlUla	35:13
71	Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier	Lidl-Trek	35:15
72	Michiel Lambrecht	Wagner Bazin WB	36:28
73	Henri Uhlig	Alpecin-Deceuninck	37:00
74	Rainer Kepplinger	Bahrain Victorious	38:07
75	Davide Bais	Team Polti VisitMalta	38:15
76	Nelson Oliveira	Movistar Team	38:40
77	Alvaro Sagrado Perez	Illes Balears Arabay	40:22
78	Jake Stewart	Israel-Premier Tech	40:36
79	Xabier Berasategi	Euskaltel-Euskadi	41:03
80	Filippo Fiorelli	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	42:14
81	Kevin Colleoni	Intermarché-Wanty	42:49
82	Kieran Haug	Project Echelon Racing	46:28
83	Hamish Armitt	Team Novo Nordisk	48:22
84	Sinuhé Fernandez	Burgos Burpellet BH	48:31
85	Edward Planckaert	Alpecin-Deceuninck	48:47
86	Riley Pickrell	Israel-Premier Tech	49:57
87	Sebastian Berwick	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	50:51
88	Rory Townsend	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	51:08
89	Unai Iribar	Equipo Kern Pharma	51:09
90	Simone Consonni	Lidl-Trek	51:33
91	Huub Artz	Intermarché-Wanty	52:05
92	Hugo Scala Jr	Project Echelon Racing	52:18
93	Loic Vliegen	Wagner Bazin WB	52:24
94	Ethan Vernon	Israel-Premier Tech	53:23
95	Robert Donaldson	Team Jayco-AlUla	54:04
96	Julius Johansen	UAE Team Emirates	56:37
97	Johan Meens	Wagner Bazin WB	57:06
98	Tyler Stites	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	57:18
99	Gianni Moscon	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	57:38
100	Lorenzo Milesi	Movistar Team	58:10
101	Ivo Oliveira	UAE Team Emirates	58:11
102	Sente Sentjens	Alpecin-Deceuninck	59:04
103	Cesar Macias	Petrolike	59:16
104	Edward Theuns	Lidl-Trek	1:00:52
105	Asier Pablo Gonzalez	Illes Balears Arabay	1:00:59
106	José Juan Prieto	Petrolike	1:01:21
107	Quentin Bezza	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
108	Alex Molenaar	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	1:02:37
109	Michael Hepburn	Team Jayco-AlUla	1:02:38
110	Gijs Van Hoecke	Intermarché-Wanty	1:03:33
111	Gonzalo Ariño Bolinches	Illes Balears Arabay	1:03:36
112	Oscar Riesebeek	Alpecin-Deceuninck	1:03:45
113	Gerben Thijssen	Intermarché-Wanty	1:03:57
114	Matyas Kopecky	Team Novo Nordisk	1:04:20
115	Filippo Ridolfo	Team Novo Nordisk	1:04:20
116	Alexander Kamp	Intermarché-Wanty	1:04:22
117	Jose Marin Aragón	Illes Balears Arabay	1:04:27
118	Adrien Petit	Intermarché-Wanty	1:04:31
119	Giovanni Lonardi	Team Polti VisitMalta	1:05:12
120	Nathan Smith	Team Novo Nordisk	1:05:49
121	Francisco Muñoz	Team Polti VisitMalta	1:06:11
122	Pau Llaneras	Illes Balears Arabay	1:07:04
123	Vojtech Kminek	Burgos Burpellet BH	1:07:24
124	Miguel Angel Fernandez	Equipo Kern Pharma	1:07:41
125	Kamil Gradek	Bahrain Victorious	1:08:13
126	Antonio Polga	Team Novo Nordisk	1:10:55
127	Samuel Boardman	Project Echelon Racing	1:16:20
128	Declan Irvine	Team Novo Nordisk	1:20:08
129	Caleb Classen	Project Echelon Racing	1:20:25
130	Bailey McDonald	Team Novo Nordisk	1:22:07
131	Cade Bickmore	Project Echelon Racing	1:22:12

 

Stage 5 map & profile:

Stage 5 map

Stage 5 profile

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Saturday, February 8: Stage 4, Oropesa del Mar - Portell de Morella, 181 km

Stage 4 map & profile

Santiago Buitrago will start the final stage in the GC leader's yellow jersey.

Stoic philosopher Epictetus' Golden Sayings is available in both audiobook & Kindle eBook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the finish city of Portell de Morella at 2:20 PM, local time: 7C (44F), sunny, with the wind from the northwest at 31 km/hr (19 mph). No rain is forecast.

The race: Here's the race organizer's stage 4 summary.

Portell de Morella, February 5, 2025: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) claimed victory in the Queen Stage of the 2025 Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana with a stunning performance in the final kilometers. The Colombian secured his second stage win in this edition and donned the yellow jersey after launching a decisive attack in the closing meters, surpassing Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Jakob Söderqvist (Uno-X) at the finish line. With this triumph, Buitrago dethrones João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and becomes the new overall leader, just one stage away from the end of the competition.

The stage began with multiple breakaway attempts until Jon Agirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Diego Uriarte (Equipo Kern Pharma), and Hugo Houle (Israel – Premier Tech) managed to establish the day’s breakaway. The peloton, controlled by UAE Team Emirates, Lidl-Trek, and BahrainVictorious, allowed the gap to extend to eight minutes before initiating the chase.

In the second half of the stage, Pablo Castrillo (Movistar Team) attacked from the peloton and successfully bridged to the breakaway riders, dropping them one by one until he was left alone in the lead. Castrillo bravely held on, but he was caught by the main group with 9 km to go, just as Jefferson Cepeda (Movistar Team) attempted a late surprise attack.

Buitrago’s masterstroke to take the yellow jersey
With the peloton surging forward and preparing for a sprint finish, Santiago Buitrago seized a moment of hesitation among the favorites and launched his decisive attack. The Colombian gained an unassailable lead, crossing the finish line with a time of 4:53:30, 12 seconds ahead of Jonathan Milan, who won the sprint in the chasing group, and Jakob Söderqvist, who finished third.

With this performance, Buitrago becomes the new overall leader, holding an 8-second advantage over João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and 29 seconds over his teammate Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious).

Jonathan Milan and Jakob Söderqvist finish second and third.

Final stage: Everything will be decided on the last day
Tomorrow, the fifth and final stage of the 2025 Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana will take place, where Buitrago must defend his lead against attacks from Almeida and Bilbao, his main challengers. With a demanding course and open tactical possibilities, the race’s outcome promises to be thrillin.

Complete results:

181 kilometers raced at an average speed of 37.004 km/hr

1	Santiago Buitrago	Bahrain Victorious	4hr 53min 29sec
2	Jonathan Milan	Lidl-Trek	@ 6sec
3	Jakob Söderqvist	Lidl-Trek	s.t.
4	Riley Sheehan	Israel-Premier Tech	0:10
5	Thymen Arensman	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
6	Pello Bilbao	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
7	Joao Almeida	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
8	Matteo Sobrero	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
9	Brandon McNulty	UAE Team Emirates	0:13
10	Jai Hindley	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
11	Carlos Rodriguez	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
12	Iván Romeo	Movistar Team	s.t.
13	Lenny Martinez	Bahrain Victorious	0:17
14	Hugo de la Calle	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
15	Luca Paletti	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	s.t.
16	Jefferson Cepeda	Movistar Team	s.t.
17	Davide Piganzoli	Team Polti VisitMalta	s.t.
18	Clément Alleno	Burgos Burpellet BH	0:24
19	Ben O'Connor	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
20	Tobias Foss	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
21	Andrii Ponomar	Petrolike	0:26
22	Ivan Cobo	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
23	Pavel Sivakov	UAE Team Emirates	0:35
24	Jack Haig	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
25	Nico Denz	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
26	Gianni Vermeersch	Alpecin-Deceuninck	0:45
27	Filippo Fiorelli	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	0:48
28	Louka Matthys	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
29	Aleksandr Vlasov	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
30	Jelte Krijnsen	Team Jayco-AlUla	0:50
31	Andrew August	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
32	Txomin Juaristi	Euskaltel-Euskadi	s.t.
33	Joe Blackmore	Israel-Premier Tech	0:52
34	Edgar Cadena	Petrolike	0:55
35	Alexey Lutsenko	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
36	Jose Manuel Diaz	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
37	David González	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
38	Matteo Scalco	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	s.t.
39	Walter Calzoni	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
40	Xabier Berasategi	Euskaltel-Euskadi	s.t.
41	Milan Vader	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
42	Mirco Maestri	Team Polti VisitMalta	1:17
43	Mathias Vacek	Lidl-Trek	1:34
44	Jose Maria Garcia	Illes Balears Arabay	1:39
45	Filippo Zana	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
46	Pablo Castrillo	Movistar Team	1:41
47	Ivan Sosa	Equipo Kern Pharma	1:53
48	Alvaro Sagrado Perez	Illes Balears Arabay	1:57
49	Edoardo Zambanini	Bahrain Victorious	2:07
50	Giovanni Aleotti	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	2:10
51	Joan Bou	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	2:15
52	Bob Jungels	INEOS Grenadiers	2:41
53	Jasha Sütterlin	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
54	Alex Tolio	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	s.t.
55	Félix Parra José	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
56	Jonathan Castroviejo	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
57	Jorge Arcas	Movistar Team	s.t.
58	William Barta	Movistar Team	s.t.
59	Frederik Wandahl	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
60	Jon Agirre	Euskaltel-Euskadi	s.t.
61	Mark Donovan	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	4:47
62	Filippo Baroncini	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
63	Luca Covili	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	4:57
64	Christopher Juul-Jensen	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
65	Floris De Tier	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
66	Lorenzo Galimberti	Petrolike	6:14
67	Daan Hoole	Lidl-Trek	6:47
68	Simone Consonni	Lidl-Trek	s.t.
69	Edward Planckaert	Alpecin-Deceuninck	6:49
70	Felix Grossschartner	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
71	Jokin Murguialday	Euskaltel-Euskadi	8:14
72	Hamish Armitt	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
73	Riley Pickrell	Israel-Premier Tech	9:42
74	Davide Bais	Team Polti VisitMalta	10:28
75	Rainer Kepplinger	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
76	Sinuhé Fernandez	Burgos Burpellet BH	10:30
77	Jake Stewart	Israel-Premier Tech	14:44
78	Hugo Houle	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
79	Julius Johansen	UAE Team Emirates	15:38
80	Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier	Lidl-Trek	16:32
81	Michiel Lambrecht	Wagner Bazin WB	17:18
82	Jaume Guardeño	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	s.t.
83	Ethan Vernon	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
84	Robert Donaldson	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
85	Rory Townsend	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
86	Nelson Oliveira	Movistar Team	s.t.
87	Louis Meintjes	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
88	Alexander Kamp	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
89	Kevin Colleoni	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
90	Henri Uhlig	Alpecin-Deceuninck	s.t.
91	Edward Theuns	Lidl-Trek	s.t.
92	Jonathan Caicedo	Petrolike	s.t.
93	Gianni Moscon	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
94	Huub Artz	Intermarché-Wanty	22:03
95	Matyas Kopecky	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
96	Johan Meens	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
97	Pablo Gonzalez Asier	Illes Balears Arabay	s.t.
98	Cesar Macias	Petrolike	s.t.
99	Unai Iribar	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
100	Filippo Ridolfo	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
101	Hugo Scala Jr	Project Echelon Racing	s.t.
102	Antonio Polga	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
103	Loic Vliegen	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
104	Quentin Bezza	Wagner Bazin WB	s.t.
105	Gerben Thijssen	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
106	Pau Llaneras	Illes Balears Arabay	s.t.
107	Vojtech Kminek	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
108	Gijs Van Hoecke	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
109	Kieran Haug	Project Echelon Racing	s.t.
110	Kamil Gradek	Bahrain Victorious	s.t.
111	Miguel Angel Fernandez	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
112	Adrien Petit	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
113	Oscar Riesebeek	Alpecin-Deceuninck	s.t.
114	Gonzalo Ariño Bolinches	Illes Balears Arabay	s.t.
115	José Juan Prieto	Petrolike	s.t.
116	Michael Hepburn	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
117	Kaden Groves	Alpecin-Deceuninck	s.t.
118	Jose Marin Aragón	Illes Balears Arabay	s.t.
119	Sente Sentjens	Alpecin-Deceuninck	s.t.
120	Lorenzo Milesi	Movistar Team	s.t.
121	Giovanni Lonardi	Team Polti VisitMalta	s.t.
122	Alex Molenaar	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	s.t.
123	Francisco Muñoz	Team Polti VisitMalta	s.t.
124	Sebastian Berwick	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	s.t.
125	Ivo Oliveira	UAE Team Emirates	s.t.
126	Nathan Smith	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
127	Tyler Stites	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	s.t.
128	Diego Uriarte	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
129	Declan Irvine	Team Novo Nordisk	33:15:00
130	Bailey McDonald	Team Novo Nordisk	s.t.
131	Caleb Classen	Project Echelon Racing	s.t.
132	Samuel Boardman	Project Echelon Racing	s.t.
133	Cade Bickmore	Project Echelon Racing	s.t.

 

GC after stage 4:

• GC leader: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
• Mountains classifaction leader: Jan Agirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
• Points classification leader: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
• Best young rider: Ivan Romeo (Movistar)
• Teams classification leader: Bahrain Victorious

561.6 kilometers raced so far at an average speed of 39.735 km/hr

1	Santiago Buitrago	Bahrain Victorious	14hr 7min 51sec
2	Joao Almeida	UAE Team Emirates	@ 18sec
3	Pello Bilbao	Bahrain Victorious	0:39
4	Thymen Arensman	INEOS Grenadiers	0:41
5	Brandon McNulty	UAE Team Emirates	0:53
6	Carlos Rodriguez	INEOS Grenadiers	s.t.
7	Iván Romeo	Movistar Team	0:54
8	Jefferson Cepeda	Movistar Team	1:00
9	Jai Hindley	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	1:31
10	Ben O'Connor	Team Jayco-AlUla	1:37
11	Lenny Martinez	Bahrain Victorious	1:42
12	Tobias Foss	INEOS Grenadiers	2:37
13	Pablo Castrillo	Movistar Team	2:52
14	Davide Piganzoli	Team Polti VisitMalta	2:56
15	Pavel Sivakov	UAE Team Emirates	3:52
16	Jack Haig	Bahrain Victorious	4:32
17	Aleksandr Vlasov	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	4:50
18	Alexey Lutsenko	Israel-Premier Tech	5:35
19	Mathias Vacek	Lidl-Trek	6:31
20	Milan Vader	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	7:29
21	Ivan Sosa	Equipo Kern Pharma	8:15
22	Txomin Juaristi	Euskaltel-Euskadi	8:19
23	Andrii Ponomar	Petrolike	8:30
24	Clément Alleno	Burgos Burpellet BH	8:56
25	William Barta	Movistar Team	9:32
26	Ivan Cobo	Equipo Kern Pharma	9:34
27	Luca Paletti	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	9:38
28	Andrew August	INEOS Grenadiers	9:39
29	Joe Blackmore	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
30	Jon Agirre	Euskaltel-Euskadi	9:51
31	Filippo Zana	Team Jayco-AlUla	13:16
32	Mark Donovan	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	13:39
33	Giovanni Aleotti	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	s.t.
34	Floris De Tier	Wagner Bazin WB	14:10
35	Jakob Söderqvist	Lidl-Trek	14:13
36	Jose Manuel Diaz	Burgos Burpellet BH	14:56
37	Joan Bou	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	15:09
38	Luca Covili	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	15:38
39	Edoardo Zambanini	Bahrain Victorious	15:41
40	Jose Maria Garcia Soriano	Illes Balears Arabay	17:06
41	Jokin Murguialday	Euskaltel-Euskadi	17:29
42	Daan Hoole	Lidl-Trek	21:36
43	Matteo Sobrero	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	22:15
44	Riley Sheehan	Israel-Premier Tech	22:43
45	Jelte Krijnsen	Team Jayco-AlUla	23:03
46	Bob Jungels	INEOS Grenadiers	23:46
47	Edgar Cadena	Petrolike	23:59
48	Jonathan Caicedo	Petrolike	24:52
49	Louka Matthys	Wagner Bazin WB	25:08
50	Jaume Guardeño	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	25:39
51	Hugo de la Calle	Burgos Burpellet BH	25:45
52	Filippo Baroncini	UAE Team Emirates	26:05
53	Nico Denz	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	26:26
54	Jasha Sütterlin	Team Jayco-AlUla	26:36
55	Louis Meintjes	Intermarché-Wanty	26:37
56	Felix Grossschartner	UAE Team Emirates	26:43
57	Mirco Maestri	Team Polti VisitMalta	26:50
58	Gianni Vermeersch	Alpecin-Deceuninck	27:08
59	Frederik Wandahl	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	27:22
60	Félix Parra José	Equipo Kern Pharma	27:24
61	Jonathan Castroviejo	INEOS Grenadiers	27:42
62	Matteo Scalco	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	28:08
63	David González	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	28:59
64	Diego Uriarte	Equipo Kern Pharma	31:00
65	Jorge Arcas	Movistar Team	31:12
66	Lorenzo Galimberti	Petrolike	31:19
67	Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier	Lidl-Trek	32:40
68	Alex Tolio	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	33:18
69	Walter Calzoni	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	33:29
70	Hugo Houle	Israel-Premier Tech	33:49
71	Jonathan Milan	Lidl-Trek	33:51
72	Davide Bais	Team Polti VisitMalta	34:01
73	Christopher Juul-Jensen	Team Jayco-AlUla	34:48
74	Rainer Kepplinger	Bahrain Victorious	35:56
75	Michiel Lambrecht	Wagner Bazin WB	36:28
76	Henri Uhlig	Alpecin-Deceuninck	37:00
77	Nelson Oliveira	Movistar Team	38:25
78	Kevin Colleoni	Intermarché-Wanty	38:26
79	Alvaro Sagrado Perez	Illes Balears Arabay	40:06
80	Jake Stewart	Israel-Premier Tech	40:42
81	Xabier Berasategi	Euskaltel-Euskadi	41:03
82	Kieran Haug	Project Echelon Racing	42:14
83	Filippo Fiorelli	VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè	s.t.
84	Edward Planckaert	Alpecin-Deceuninck	46:00
85	Sinuhé Fernandez	Burgos Burpellet BH	46:04
86	Sebastian Berwick	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	46:37
87	Hamish Armitt	Team Novo Nordisk	48:07
88	Riley Pickrell	Israel-Premier Tech	49:42
89	Rory Townsend	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	51:08
90	Unai Iribar	Equipo Kern Pharma	51:09
91	Simone Consonni	Lidl-Trek	51:32
92	Huub Artz	Intermarché-Wanty	52:05
93	Loic Vliegen	Wagner Bazin WB	52:09
94	Hugo Scala Jr	Project Echelon Racing	52:18
95	Ethan Vernon	Israel-Premier Tech	53:23
96	Robert Donaldson	Team Jayco-AlUla	53:49
97	Julius Johansen	UAE Team Emirates	56:37
98	Pablo Gonzalez Asier	Illes Balears Arabay	56:44
99	Johan Meens	Wagner Bazin WB	57:06
100	Tyler Stites	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	57:18
101	Gianni Moscon	Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe	57:23
102	Lorenzo Milesi	Movistar Team	58:10
103	Ivo Oliveira	UAE Team Emirates	58:11
104	Sente Sentjens	Alpecin-Deceuninck	59:04
105	Cesar Macias	Petrolike	59:16
106	Jose Marin Aragón	Illes Balears Arabay	1:00:12
107	Edward Theuns	Lidl-Trek	1:00:52
108	Quentin Bezza	Wagner Bazin WB	1:01:07
109	Kaden Groves	Alpecin-Deceuninck	1:01:08
110	Michael Hepburn	Team Jayco-AlUla	1:01:19
111	José Juan Prieto	Petrolike	1:01:21
112	Oscar Riesebeek	Alpecin-Deceuninck	1:01:34
113	Alexander Kamp	Intermarché-Wanty	1:01:47
114	Alex Molenaar	Caja Rural-Seguros RGA	1:02:22
115	Adrien Petit	Intermarché-Wanty	1:02:52
116	Gijs Van Hoecke	Intermarché-Wanty	1:03:18
117	Gonzalo Ariño Bolinches	Illes Balears Arabay	1:03:20
118	Nathan Smith	Team Novo Nordisk	1:03:41
119	Gerben Thijssen	Intermarché-Wanty	1:03:57
120	Matyas Kopecky	Team Novo Nordisk	1:04:17
121	Filippo Ridolfo	Team Novo Nordisk	1:04:20
122	Pau Llaneras	Illes Balears Arabay	1:04:52
123	Giovanni Lonardi	Team Polti VisitMalta	1:05:16
124	Francisco Muñoz	Team Polti VisitMalta	1:06:11
125	Vojtech Kminek	Burgos Burpellet BH	1:07:09
126	Miguel Angel Fernandez	Equipo Kern Pharma	1:07:41
127	Kamil Gradek	Bahrain Victorious	1:07:58
128	Antonio Polga	Team Novo Nordisk	1:10:40
129	Samuel Boardman	Project Echelon Racing	1:12:06
130	Caleb Classen	Project Echelon Racing	1:16:11
131	Cade Bickmore	Project Echelon Racing	1:17:58
132	Declan Irvine	Team Novo Nordisk	1:20:08
133	Bailey McDonald	Team Novo Nordisk	1:21:52

 

Stage 4 map & profile:

Stage 4 map

Stage 4 profile

---

Friday, February 7: Stage 3, Algemesí - Alpuente, 180.3 km

Course map & profile

Ivan Romeo takes a solo win in Alpuente.

Les Woodland's book Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years is available in the print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the finish city of Alpuente at 1:30 PM, local time: 11C (51F). partly cloudy, with the wind from the southwest at 13 km/hr (7 mph). There is a 44% chance of rain.

The race: Here's the race organizer's stage three summayr.

Iván Romeo completes a great attack and wins solo in the third stage of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

The Movistar Team cyclist resisted the final attacks and crossed the finish line ahead of the group of favorites. João Almeida takes the overall lead.

Alpuente, february 6, 2025. The third stage of the 2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana was marked by an aggressive breakaway and an exciting finale on the final climb. Iván Romeo (Movistar Team) secured a prestigious victory after launching an attack 16 kilometers from the finish and resisting the chase attempts of the favorites on the demanding climb to El Remedio (1st category).

The Spanish rider crossed the finish line solo with a time of 4:26:16, also earning a 10-second time bonus. Behind him, Colombian Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) led the chasing group, finishing 10 seconds behind the winner and earning an 8-second bonus, while João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG) completed the day’s podium and added 7 additional seconds.

The group of favorites, including riders such as Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Jefferson Cepeda (Movistar Team), and Jai Hindley (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe), arrived compact at the finish, 10 seconds behind the winner.

The stage, featuring a hilly profile with three categorized climbs, favored breakaway specialists. A group of six riders animated the break of the day, including Francisco Muñoz (Team Polti VisitMalta) and Matteo Scalco (VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè), reaching a maximum lead of nearly six minutes. However, the control exerted by Bahrain Victorious and UAE Team Emirates gradually reduced the gap, catching the breakaway riders on the ascent to El Remedio, the most significant climb of the stage.

At that moment, decisive moves began. João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) attempted a surprise attack but were caught on the descent. Meanwhile, race leader Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), who had suffered a crash earlier in the stage, lost contact with the group of favorites. Seizing a moment of hesitation in the main group, Iván Romeo launched his decisive move. The Movistar Team rider quickly opened a gap, extending his lead beyond 20 seconds. Behind him, Tobias Foss (INEOS Grenadiers) led the chase, but Romeo managed his effort intelligently, maintaining his advantage in the final kilometers.

In the overall classification, João Almeida claims the leader’s jersey with a total time of 9:14:31, closely followed by Santiago Buitrago, just 2 seconds behind. Pello Bilbao sits in third place, 21 seconds behind the Portuguese rider.

The day was also marked by an emotional tribute in Algemesí to the victims of the DANA storm, attended by authorities and representatives of the security and emergency services. Among those present were Luis Cervera (General Director of Sports of the Generalitat Valenciana), Vicente Mompó (President of the Valencia Provincial Council), José Javier Sanchis (Mayor of Algemesí), Fernando Canós (Deputy General Director of Banco Sabadell), Nuria Codina (Regional Director for Southern Valencia of Banco Sabadell), Ángel Casero (General Director of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana), and Juan Enrique Ribes (Sports Councillor of Algemesí)

Complete results:

180.3 kilometers raced at an average speed of 40.631 km/hr

GC after stage 3:

• GC leader: Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates)
• Mountains classification leader: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
• Points classification leader: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
• Best young rider: Iván Romeo (Movistar)
• Teams classification leader: Bahrin Victorious

380.6 kilometers raced so far at an average speed of 41.183 km/hr

Stage 3 map & profile:

Stage 3 map

Stage 3 profile

Thursday, February 6: Stage 2, La Nucía - Benifato (Alto de Partegat), 166 km

Course map & profile

No other racers in sight as Santiago Buitrago wins stage two.

Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the 2024 Tour de France: The Happy Warrior Triumphs is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the link on the right.

Weather at the city of Benidorm, on the route, about midway into the stage at 2:30 PM, local time: 16C (60F), partly cloudy, with the wind from the east at 10 km/hr (6 mph). There is just a 1% chance of rain.

The route: The battle to dethrone the leader after the team time trial begins with a nervous and selective stage. An ideal route for breakaways from the start, with three mountain passes in the final part. Col de Rates, Alto de Benimantell and Alto de Partegat, a debutant pass with 4 kilometers quite hard uphill. Depending on how the teams approach the stage, there could be a lot of movement in the classification.

The race: Here's the race organizer's stage two summary.

Santiago Buitrago Wins at the Alto de Partegat, and Vacek Holds on to the Leader’s Jersey

The Colombian rider dominated at the finish line on the Alto de Partegat, while Czech cyclist Mathias Vacek resisted the attacks and kept the leader’s jersey by a narrow margin

Benifato, February 6, 2025 –The second stage of the 2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana did not disappoint. Starting in La Nucia and finishing at the challenging Alto de Partegat, the stage was marked by a fierce battle among the favorites and a spectacular finale on the final climb. Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) claimed a dominant victory after launching a decisive attack during the ascent. Meanwhile, Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) managed to stay with the chasing group and, despite losing some time at the finish line, retained the leader’s jersey with a slim advantage over his rivals.

It's time to race in Benifato.

From kilometer 11, a group of five riders attempted to break away from the peloton. Samuele Zoccarato (Team Polti VisitMalta), Vicente Rojas (VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè), Sinuhe Fernández (Burgos Burpellet BH), Quentin Bezza (Wagner-Bazin WB), and Matyáš Kopecký (Team Novo Nordisk) gained the lead and built up an advantage of more than four minutes in the middle section of the stage.

The first mountain challenge of the day, the Coll de Rates, reduced the breakaway group, leaving Kopecký and Fernández at the front. However, the peloton, driven by UAE Team Emirates XRG and Lidl-Trek, steadily began to close the gap.

With 24 kilometers remaining, the peloton regrouped, neutralizing the last two escapees, and the stage finale was left in the hands of the top contenders. On the climb to Puerto de Benimantell, Tobias Foss (INEOS Grenadiers) launched a powerful attack, gaining up to 20 seconds on the chasing group. However, with six kilometers to go, Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Iván Romeo (Movistar Team) caught up with the Norwegian, forming a leading trio.

With just four kilometers to the finish, Foss could not keep up the pace, leaving Bilbao alone at the front, with the peloton closing in at less than 30 seconds. UAE Team Emirates, led by Joao Almeida and Brandon McNulty, increased the pace on the final climb.

Buitrago, the Strongest on the Final Climb to Partegat
In the last 500 meters, Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) launched a decisive attack, overtaking his teammate Bilbao and crossing the finish line solo with a time of 4:07:54. Bilbao held on to second place, 9 seconds behind, while Almeida rounded out the podium at 13 seconds.

Further back, Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), the general classification leader, managed to defend his jersey, finishing 57 seconds behind the stage winner and maintaining a slim lead of just three seconds over Almeida and five seconds over Buitrago in the overall standings.

Complete results:

166 kilometers raced at an average speed of 40.177 km/hr

GC after stage 2:

• GC leader: Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek)
• Mountains classification leader: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
• Points classification leader: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
• Best young rider: Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek)
• Teams classification leader: Bahrain Victorious

200.3 kilometers raced so far at an average speed of 41.705 km/hr

Stage 2 map & profile:

Stage 2 map

Stage 2 profile

Wednesday, February 5: Orihuela 34.3 km team time trial

Course map & profile

Lidl-Trek turned in the fastest time.

Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2020: The Tour During Covid-19, Better Late Than Never is available in both Kindle eBook and Audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the race city of Orihuela at 2:20 PM, local time: 17C (62F), sunny, with the wind from the east-southeast at 9 km/hr (5 mph). No rain is forecast.

The stage: The VCV 2025 starts strong with a spectacular team time trial of 34 kilometers. A flat course with some hilly areas, somewhat technical in specific sections, but above all a very fast time trial conducive to very high average speeds. The VCV 2025 will open with an all-out battle between the best teams in the world

The race: Here's the report from winner Team Lidl-Trek.

Lidl-Trek dominate the opening team time trial at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana winning with an impressive margin of 47 seconds.

The Team went into the day fully prepared, having reconned today’s opening 34.3km-long team time trial at their January training camp, and with one clear goal: to win.

As soon as the group rolled off the ramp, it was obvious that every single rider meant business and an impressively strong team performance out on course saw them stop the clock at 39 minutes 19 seconds to move into the hot seat.

Second-place Jayco AlUla on their ride.

As one of the first teams to start, it was a long wait to see if Lidl-Trek had done enough to secure victory with potentially some of the toughest competition to come in the last group of teams. However, in the end, no one was able to get close to matching the benchmark set by the Team and it was Simone Consonni, Daan Hoole, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, Jonathan Milan, Jakob Söderqvist, Edward Theuns, and Mathias Vacek who stepped onto the podium as the first winners of the race.

In fact, Lidl-Trek was the only team to step onto the podium with Mathias Vacek crossing the line first to take the race leader’s yellow jersey, as well as the jersey for the best young rider while, Jonathan Milan will wear the KOM jersey tomorrow with Daan Hoole in the Points jersey.

Here's third-place UAE team Emirates-XRG

Mathias Vacek:
It's a really great feeling. We could even think about the margin we had at the finish, about 50 seconds. It’s crazy what we did today. We aimed high, but winning is something special for us, and for the team it’s a great success. We’re super confident now for the next races and time trials. Today we enjoyed our victory and we left everything out there. It feels so great.

It was not really decided that I should pass the finish first, but I was in the first position before the downhill and I stayed there until the finish line, and I’m proud that I can wear the yellow jersey now for the next stage. I want to thank my team, to the other guys because without them it wouldn’t be possible. The team effort we put in and all the details we worked on, now it paid off and it feels great. I don’t want to say that I’m going to win the next stages, but I’ll try to keep the jersey for as long as possible.

I have a good gap to the other teams but for sure it will be hard racing with some tough climbs in the next says. I’ll see how I feel but I will leave it all out there to keep the jersey as long as possible.

Mathias Vacek will start stage two in yellow. Photo: Szymon Gruchalski/Getty Images

Jonathan Milan:
I would say absolutely yes [it went to plan]. The plan was a bit easy – go full gas and give 100% of ourselves, so we were believing in this. We were also try this time trial in the last month, during the January training camp. From the beginning we looked and said that with our team it would be really perfect. I think it’s a perfect result.

I think it was the plan to make Mathias first. In the end everyone deserves this victory, everyone gave 100%. Mathias did a nice pace and I think he can play his cards also in the next days.

I think I’ll have to wait a bit. The last stage should be pretty interesting for me. I’ll have to suffer a bit, I’ll help my teammates and we’ll see.

Results:

34.3 kilometers raced at an average speed of 52.322 km/hr

GC after stage 1:

Stage 1 map & profile:

Stage 1 map

Stage 1 profile

Start list with back numbers, February 4, 2025: