From Oceania to Europe: the cycling season has already started with the Tour Down Under and a series of one-day races, but in the first week of February, things really kick off on multiple fronts. In Spain, the Tour of Valencia is held, a race that traditionally attracts quite a few top riders. Join IDLProCycling.com for an in-depth look!
In 2016, the Tour of Valencia was redesigned, and in its eight editions since, we've seen as many world-class cyclists emerge as winners. From Wout Poels to Tadej Pogacar, and from Alejandro Valverde to last year's winner Rui Costa, they all made their mark on the Spanish roads. The Portuguese rider edged out Giulio Ciccone and Tao Geoghegan Hart for the top podium spots.
For a large part of the peloton, Valencia is a comfortable place, being the province where many cycling teams also organize their winter training camps. Many of the roads that the riders will travel this week are already familiar to the peloton.
Recent winners of the Tour of Valencia
2023 Rui Costa
2022 Alexander Vlasov
2021 Stefan Küng
2020 Tadej Pogacar
2019 Ion Izagirre
2018 Alejandro Valverde
2017 Nairo Quintana
2016 Wout Poels
Tour of Valencia 2024: Route, favorites for stage wins, and times
Stage 1, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024: Benicassim - Castellón (167 km)
The Tour of Valencia started this year with anything but an easy stage. Seven riders broke away early in the stage, with the peloton hesitating long about what to do with them. Too long, in fact, because the VF Group-Bardiani duo Alessandro Tonelli and Manuele Tozzari had already made their escape. Tonelli took the win, with the peloton finishing a minute and a half too late.
Winner
Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group-Bardiani)
Leaderboard
Overall Leader: Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group-Bardiani)
Points: Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group-Bardiani)
Mountain: Gorka Sarrarain (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
Best Young Rider: Oier Lazkano (Movistar)
Stage 2, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024: Canals - Mancom de la Valldigna (162.7 km)
The second stage was once again one for the adventurers. While it wasn't particularly tough at any point during the day, it was tricky enough to give the pure sprinters a hard time. The summit of the final climb, the Alto Pla de Corrals, came within the last ten kilometers, making it perfect for Matej Mohoric, who won solo after a masterful descent. This five-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 3.9 percent could prove to be a giant killer if the pace was pushed hard.
Winner
Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious)
Leaderboard
Overall Leader: Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group-Bardiani)
Points: Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious)
Mountain: Gorka Sarrarain (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
Best Young Rider: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
Stage 3, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024: San Vicente del Raspeig - Orihuela (161.3 km)
On day three, the sprinters were likely to take center stage. With the Puerto de Albatera as the single significant climb in the 161-kilometer route, the better cyclists in the world usually wouldn't have a problem with it. Jonathan Milan secured his very first victory for Lidl-Trek with a powerful final sprint ahead of Milan Menten and Giovanni Lonardi.
Winner
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Leaderboard
Overall Leader: Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group-Bardiani)
Points: Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Mountain: Gorka Sarrarain (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
Best Young Rider: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
Stage 4, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024: Teulada Moraira - Vall d'Ebo (175.2 km)
In the penultimate stage, things are set to be thoroughly shaken up. Starting from Teulada Moraira and finishing in Vall d'Ebo, the riders will have to conquer several challenging climbs, each steeper than the last. This begins in the final twenty kilometers with the brutally steep Alto de Miserat, followed by several more tough climbs before the decisive moment on Vall d'Ebo, where the last two kilometers also feature a significant uphill.
Climbs
46.5 km: Benimantell (5.4 km at 7%)
61.5 km: Confrides (7.6 km at 4.5%)
82.5 km: Alto de la Cabana (5.0 km at 3.9%)
105.5 km: Tolos (4.5 km at 4.9%)
159.0 km: Alto del Miserat (5.7 km at 9.2%)
Favorites
Pavel Sivakov (UAE-Team Emirates)
Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe)
Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
Times
Start: 12:46 p.m.
Finish: 5:15 p.m.
Stage 5, Sunday, February 4, 2024: Betera - Valencia (93 km)
The tour concludes with a 93-kilometer stage to the city of Valencia, but it's far from a simple criterium. Along the way, riders must tackle two serious climbs: the Oronet and, notably, La Frontera (5 km at 9.3%). This could keep the race suspenseful right up to the final kilometers.
Climbs
25.0 km: Oronet (4.9 km at 4.2%)
48.0 km: La Frontera (5 km at 9.3%)
Favorites
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Patrick Konrad (Lidl-Trek)
Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe)
Times
Start: 3:05 p.m.
Finish: 5:15 p.m.
Favorites for the general classification of the Tour of Valencia 2024
Note: The participant list is not yet complete and/or officially confirmed. Therefore, adjustments may still be made.
The big WorldTour teams are heading to Valencia with strong line-ups, that much is clear. Teams like BORA-hansgrohe, UAE-Team Emirates, Bahrain Victorious, Lidl-Trek, and Jayco AlUla, each with multiple riders aiming for the general classification, are expected to play a significant role in shaping the race in the Valencia region.
Aleksandr Vlasov, who was in top form last week in Mallorca and won this race two years ago, is backed by a strong team including Jai Hindley and Lennard Kämna, making him a top favorite for this stage race. In the Balearic Islands, he finished on the podium three times, but a win eluded him. Will this change in Valencia?
Not if UAE-Team Emirates has anything to say about it. They have Brandon McNulty, who's in a similar position to Vlasov post-Mallorca, but they're also bringing Pavel Sivakov, Felix Grossschartner, and Jay Vine, adding three more strong riders to the mix. Sivakov, in particular, will be looking to make a mark in his first race for the Emirati team. And that’s not even mentioning young talents Igor Arrietta and Jan Christen...
At Bahrain Victorious, daredevils Pello Bilbao and Matej Mohoric, two daredevils, are strong contenders for the numerous downhill finishes in this race, while Santiago Buitrago, a dynamic climber, will likely have his eyes on the queen stage. A formidable team that the competition should definitely watch out for.
Jayco AlUla, with Eddie Dunbar, Filippo Zana, and stage hunter Michael Matthews, also presents a strong lineup on paper, as does Lidl-Trek with sprinter Jonathan Milan and GC riders Patrick Konrad and Sam Oomen. Movistar is banking on Pelayo Sanchez, Antonio Pedrero, Einer Rubio, and Spanish champion Oier Lazkano.
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
Who are the favorites for the general classification of the 2024 Tour of Valencia, according to IDLProCycling.com?
Top favorites: Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe) and Pavel Sivakov (UAE-Team Emirates)
Outsiders: Brandon McNulty (UAE-Team Emirates), Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla), Santiago Buitrago and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Long shots: Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Jai Hindley, Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe), Patrick Konrad (Lidl-Trek), Jay Vine, Felix Grossschartner (UAE-Team Emirates), Filippo Zana (Jayco AlUla) and Einer Rubio (Movistar)
TV coverage of the Tour of Valencia 2024
The Tour of Valencia will be televised by Eurosport, which reserves broadcasting time each afternoon on its main channel and online platforms Eurosport.nl and Discovery+ for the Spanish stage race.
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