Tom Boonen and Dan Martin heading the Etixx – Quick-Step line up for Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Boonen & Dan Martin head for Valenciana
The five-day race (3-7 February) returns to the calendar following a 8-year hiatus.
© Tim De Waele
01-Feb-2016: Spain was good with Etixx – Quick-Step in this start of the season, as Gianluca Brambilla landed the squad’s third victory of 2016 in Challenge Mallorca, a result in addition to which the team scored a handful of top 10 placings in the Balearic Islands. Now time has come for another event in the Iberian Peninsula, Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana – our first European stage race of the season – which puts on the table a significant amount of climbing very early in the year.
Volta a la Comunitat Valencia opens on Wednesday, February 3rd, with a 16.3 km-long individual time trial which is going to be held on a hilly course, before heading to the mountains just one day later, when the peloton will hit Alto de Fredes, an arduous first category ascent, with gradients ranging from 9% to 12%. The sprinters will be in the spotlight on Friday and Sunday, between these two days the climbers having another opportunity to take a victory and make their mark on the general classification, using the explosive Xorret de Cati (4 km, 22% maximum gradient) as a launch pad. The race will wrap-up with one last opportunity for the fast men of the peloton, in Valencia, on a 10-lap circuit.
The event will see three of Etixx – Quick-Step’s riders kick-off their season: Luxembourg champion Bob Jungels, Daniel Martin (who’s enjoyed successful stints in the past in Spain, at the Volta a Catalunya and Vuelta a España), and Tom Boonen, the 35-year-old Belgian returning to the races after his crash in the Abu Dhabi Tour, last October.
“We have a balanced and well-structured team for Valenciana. The first races of the year are a bit unpredictable and always different from the ones that come later in the season. The first day will schedule an individual time trial, and we are curious to see what Bob can do. For Dan it will be a good opportunity to gain confidence with his new team and test his condition following the winter training. As for Tom, we want to take it day by day, especially as he is coming back to competition after a significant amount of time. We will see how he feels without rushing things in any way†said Wilfried Peeters, one of the team’s two sport directors at the race.
Feb 03–Feb 7  Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (ESP) 2.1
Riders
Tom Boonen (BEL)
Bob Jungels (LUX)
Yves Lampaert (BEL)
Daniel Martin (IRL)
Gianni Meersman (BEL)
Niki Terpstra (NED)
Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL)
Carlos Verona (ESP)
Sports Director Wilfried Peeters (BEL)
Jan Schaffrath (GER)
Website http://www.demarragevalencia.com
Stages
03.02.16 Stage 1 Benicassim – Oropesa del Mar 16.3 km (ITT)
04.02.16 Stage 2 Castellon – Fredes 163.3 km
05.02.16 Stage 3 Sagunto – Alzira 173.5 km
06.02.16 Stage 4 Orihuela – Xorret de Cati 141.3 km
07.02.16 Stage 5 Valencia – Valencia
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Result: Beverley Town Centre Races
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- Crit Result: Portsmouth Evening Circuits 11
- Crit Result: RCR FatCreations Goodwood Summer Special
- UK Armed Forces Inter-services Road Race
- Report: TLI Cycling ‘Belgium Training Series
- BMCR RESULT: The Ron Day MK Bowl Circuit races (July 23rd)
- RR Result: Bath RC Junior National Series Road Race
- Crit Result: West Thames League 15
- Crit Result: SACA Salt Ayre Tuesday Series 15
- Crit Result: Bath CC Mid Summer Series 2
- Crit Result: Full Gas Summer Circuit Series #17
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 10m TT
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team 10m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- Youth Result: RL360 Isle of Man Youth League 14
- TT Result: Verulam Cycling Club 25m TT
- TT Result: Manchester & District Ladies CA 25m TT
- TT Result: Ferryhill Wheelers CC 25m TT
- Crit Result: Banbury Star Crit Series #2
- RR Result: Lakes Road Club Summer Road Race
- National Circuit Series: Colne
- TT Result: Kings Lynn CC 15m TT
- TT Result: ECCA 10 mile Time Trial
- TT Result: Chorley Cycling Club 10m TT
- TT Result: Houghton CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 10m TT
- TT Result: Farnham RC 10m TT
- Crit Result: King&Queen of the Bowl Series #13
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team 10m TT
- Crit Result: Lichfield/Velospeed No Frills at Curborough #7
- TT Result: Swindon RC & Swindon Wh 50m TT
- Crit News: Spatzwear Friday Night Crit Series #6 | YBC
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Crit Result: Thanks Crit it’s Friday 7
- Crit Result: Omega Portsmouth Circuits 6
- Result: BMCR National Road Bike TT Championship
- Crit Result: Ride Revolution Coaching Summer Crits #2
- Crit Result: Shutt Velo Rapide Hitters Crits Rd2
Other News on VeloUK
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Ribble Redefines Road with launch of Allroad
- BMCR: National Road Bike Time Trial Championship
- SUNDAY: Bath Road Club Junior National Series Road Race
- TLI CYCLING FEATURE: SUPER4SERIES
- NATIONAL CIRCUIT SERIES UPDATE 2024
- News: Josh Tarling Extends Contract at Ineos
- Tour of Britain for Men 2024
- News: Connor Swift Extends Contract with Ineos
- Updated GB Olympic Team News
- Sunday: 2024 Youth Circuit Race Championships (Cyclopark)
- ROBBED BY THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY – National Highways
- Startlist: BMCR National Road Championships E/F/G/H
- OLYMPIC NEWS – Team GB Announces First Riders for Olympics
- News: Alex Richardson Retires
- New Releases from Shutt Velo Rapide
- STARTLIST: Men’s British Road Race Championships
- STARTLIST: 2024 Women’s British Road Race Championships
- Startlist: 2024 CAMS Yorkshire Classic Road Races
- Startlists: 2024 Circuit Race Championships
- Startlist: CAMS Ronde van Wymeswold
- Startlists & 2023 Results: National Time Trial Championships
- NEWS: Star Studded Line Up for National Road Champs
- Riders so far: London Dynamo Summer Road Races
- Women’s Tour of Britain Startlist (provisional)
- News: Lincoln winner hit by car
- Entries Wanted: Ilkley Cycles Races
- GB Team Named for Women’s Tour of Britain
- STARTLISTS: NW, Yorkshire & NE Regional RR Championships
- Startlists: East Midlands Road Race Championships
- News: Ribble Rebellion Race USA’s Armed Forces Cycling Classic
- TT Result: Legato Racing Team 10m TT
- Pre-Race Rider Quotes: Ford RideLondon Classique
- STARTLIST: Witham Wheelers Road Races
- Team News: Tour of Britain for Alba Development RT
- Startlist: Totnes Vire 2024
- Starters: NW Junior/U23 360cycling Two Day