Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana Overview
When is Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana? Five-day stage race from February 1-5, 2023
Where does Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana start? Orihuela
Where does Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana finish? Valencia
The latest results from 2023 Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana
Rui Costa sweeps up stage 5 win and overall at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty's Rui Costa edged Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) at the line to win stage 5 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, and in the process grabbed the overall title.
Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan) finished third on the stage just ahead of Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), with Ciccone finishing 21 seconds behind Costa in fifth. The advantage gave Costa his first GC victory since the Abu Dhabi Tour back in 2017.
The final 93km stage of the very hilly five-day Spanish race began with Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) holding a minimal four-second GC lead over second-placed Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers). Ciccone was part of a break of nine riders that included all the main favourites, but it was Arensman who attacked with 2.5km to go and Costa who was able to respond. The two powered around the final corner into the city centre of Valencia to contest the sprint, Costa lunging for the victory.
Ciccone took second overall while stage 4 winner Geoghegan Hart finished third overall.
Results powered by FirstCycling
Stage 5: Rui Costa sweeps up stage 5 win and overall at Volta Valenciana
Stage 4: Geoghegan Hart beats Gloag to win stage 4 summit finish at Volta Valenciana
Stage 3: Simone Velasco wins stage 3 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Stage 2: Ciccone outsprints select group to win stage 2 atop Alto de Pinos at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Stage 1: Biniam Girmay storms to stage 1 sprint victory at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana 2023 Information
The 74th edition of Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana opens a heavy ProSeries schedule of racing in Europe from February 1-5, 2023. Racing in eastern Spain, the top WorldTour teams bring solid rosters, many of their riders taking the start line for the first time to open a fresh season.
Alejandro Valverde has won the race three times - 2004, 2007 and 2018 - which is the most by any single rider. Last year’s overall title was secured by Alexandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) for his first-ever stage race victory. He gained the leader’s yellow jersey on stage 3 on the fiercely-steep final climb that featured a tough gravel segment inside the final three kilometres to the summit finish at Antenas del Maigmó. His attack propelled him in front of Remco Evenepoel (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), who finished second overall.
The 2023 route was designed to showcase climbers, with at least two mountain passes on each of the five stages. Like the 2022 race, there is an absence of time trialling across the five days, only hilly and mountain stages.
The Alicante town of Orihuela will host the official start of the Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana on February 1. After 190km, the first stage will conclude in Altea with a menu of medium mountains, with passes through the Coll de Rates and Bèrnia passes.
Stage 2 will also pass through the province of Alicante, starting in Novelda and ending in Alto de Pinos de Benissa, with seven categorised climbs across 180km. On February 3, the third stage will start in Bétera and cross more mountains, including Oronet and Garbí, which should allow a breakaway to get away for the finish in Sagunto.
The penultimate day of racing, stage 4, is the queen stage with 3,557 metres of climbing across 181.6km through the province of Castellón. There are five classified peaks on the route, with a first-time mountaintop finish in front of the Sanctuary of the Holy Cave in Altura.
The usual final stage between Paterna and Valencia with a massive sprint finish has been changed for 2023. The route will cover xx and lead the peloton over climbs to Oronet and La Frontera in the Sierra Calderona for a finish in front of l'Oceanogràfic de València.
