Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 2021

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Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana dates: April 14-18, 2021
Stages: 5
Distance: 615.7 km
Cyclingnews live coverage: tbd
Live streaming: Eurosport, GCN Race Pass (all territories) daily 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (CET), except stage 5 which is 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (CET)

The Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in 2020 was a talent-packed early season form-raiser, won by Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) who would go on to claim the Tour de France title six months later.

While the young Slovenian dominated the two mountain stages, Dutch riders Dylan Groenewegen and Fabio Jakobsen took turns claiming the sprint stages.

In between, the COVID-19 pandemic blanketed the world, snuffing out four months of competition, cancelling hundreds of races and leading to almost three million deaths.

After the racing resumed, Jakobsen and Groenewegen's next meeting went infamously wrong with the Deceuninck-QuickStep rider grievously injured when Groenewegen elbowed him into the barriers in the rescheduled Tour of Poland.

Normally an attractive early-season race for the WorldTour teams, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic led organisers to shift the dates from the usual February slot to mid-April, conflicting with Tour of Turkey and the Ardennes Classics.

With the new date came a much watered-down field with none of the previously mentioned squads in attendance. Only four WorldTeams - Movistar, Groupama-FDJ, Lotto Soudal and Cofidis - will be among the 15 teams on the start line. 

Cyclingnews will be bringing you full reports, results, news, interviews, and analysis throughout the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. Watch the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana via live stream, no matter your location, with ExpressVPN.

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana riders to watch

Enric Mas - Sebastian Mora might be Movistar's dossard 1 but Enric Mas is the rider on form after supporting Alejandro Valverde in the Itzulia Basque Country. The stage to the Alto de la Reina will favour the runner-up of the 2018 Vuelta a España.

Arnaud Démare - The French champion has won a few stage races including the Tours de Wallonie and Poitou Charentes in 2020 when he won five stages between them, and in 2018 when he swept all the stages and GC in the Poitou Charentes. With only one mountain stage and a time trial, look for Démare to dominate the other days of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.

Caleb Ewan - The Lotto Soudal rider has the quickest sprint in the peloton and will be keen to gain form and confidence ahead of the Giro d'Italia by going head-to-head against Démare.

Daniel Navarro - Almost without a contract for the season, Navarro was a late add to the Burgos-BH squad. The 37-year-old Spaniard wasn't brilliant in the Itzulia Basque Country but he's got the background to be a contender.

Brendan Rhim - Riding for the little-known Irish squad EvoPro Racing, Rhim has been out of the loop after the COVID-19 wrecked 2020 season but as a winner of the Tour de Beauce, a strong climber and decent time trialist, Rhim could surprise with a lighter field.

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana teams

• Movistar Team
• Groupama-FDJ
• Lotto Soudal
• Cofidis
• Team Arkea-Samsic
• Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
• Rally Cycling
• Bingoal WB
• B&B Hotels p/b KTM
• Burgos-BH
• Equipo Kern Pharma
• Euskaltel-Euskadi
• Tarteletto-Isorex
• Evopro Racing
• Mg.k Vis VPM