Kopecky wins inaugural Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana Feminas

The riders spray the champagne on the podium of the Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana Feminas

The riders spray the champagne on the podium of the Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana Feminas (Image credit: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana)

Lotte Kopecky (Lotto Soudal Ladies) got her season off to a winning start with victory in the inaugural edition of the Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana Feminas. The multi-discipline rider took a clear victory in the sprint finish, beating Canyon-SRAM’s Alice Barnes by almost a bike's length, with Kopecky's teammate Thi That Nguyen taking third.

Kopecky has been working hard on the track over the winter months, winning the Madison event with Jolien D’hoore at the penultimate round in Cambridge, New Zealand, and finishing second in the event in Hong Kong last month. Her main focus is the Track World Championships in Poland in March, but her track form has clearly transferred to the road.

Three years after reviving the men’s stage, organisers introduced a one-day women’s race to take place ahead of the final stage of the men’s event. Many of the top teams will not be starting their European season until the separately organised Setmana Valenciana stage race later this month, but the event still attracted some big hitters, including home team Movistar, Canyon-SRAM, Lotto Soudal and Bigla Pro Cycling.

The close to pan-flat 88.5km course, which would be the same for the men later in the day, took the riders from Paterna on the North West of Valencia, away from the city before returning for four laps around Valencia itself.

With the parcours, a sprint finished seemed a formality and the major teams looked to control the racing. On home roads, it was Movistar that did much of the work, with assistance from Lotto Soudal. There were some attempts at getting away, but nothing came to fruition. The one major mid-race skirmish was for the intermediate sprint with Ale Cipollini’s Jelena Eric taking the full points ahead of Silvia Zanardi.

Ultimately, the predicted sprint finish came with Kopecky converting her track form into a victory on the road, the first for the Lotto Soudal team this season.

Cyclingnews is proud to introduce the first episode of our Cyclingnews Podcast Women's Edition, brought to you by Sportful, Pinarello and Floyd's of Leadville.

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Lotte Kopecky (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies2:08:19
2Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAMRow 1 - Cell 2
3Thi That Nguyen (Vie) Lotto Soudal LadiesRow 2 - Cell 2
4Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Cylance CyclingRow 3 - Cell 2
5Anna Trevisi (Ita) Ale CipolliniRow 4 - Cell 2
6Roxane Fournier (Fra) Movistar Team WomenRow 5 - Cell 2
7Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Cylance CyclingRow 6 - Cell 2
8Claudia Koster (Ned) WNT-Rotor Pro CyclingRow 7 - Cell 2
9Sara Mustonen (Swe) Health Mate-Ladies TeamRow 8 - Cell 2
10Rachele Barbieri (Ita) BePinkRow 9 - Cell 2
11Maria Vittoria Sperotto (Ita) Bigla Pro Cycling TeamRow 10 - Cell 2
12Maria Martins (Por) Sopela Women's TeamRow 11 - Cell 2
13Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Cylance CyclingRow 12 - Cell 2
14Agnieta Francke (Ned) Belori Womens TeamRow 13 - Cell 2
15Lara Vieceli (Ita) WNT-Rotor Pro CyclingRow 14 - Cell 2
16Sandra Alonso Dominguez (Spa) Bizkaia-DurangoRow 15 - Cell 2
17Jelena Eric (Srb) Ale CipolliniRow 16 - Cell 2
18Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) Ale CipolliniRow 17 - Cell 2
19Soraya Paladin (Ita) Ale CipolliniRow 18 - Cell 2
20Nicola Juniper (GBr) Mexx Watersley Womens Cycling TeamRow 19 - Cell 2
21Kylie Waterreus (Ned) Health Mate-Ladies TeamRow 20 - Cell 2
22Gladys Verhulst (Fra) Charente-Maritime WomenRow 21 - Cell 2
23Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-SRAMRow 22 - Cell 2
24Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Valcar-Cylance CyclingRow 23 - Cell 2
25Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team WomenRow 24 - Cell 2
26Hannah Ludwig (Ger) Canyon-SRAMRow 25 - Cell 2
27Nerea Nuno Inglesias (Spa) Rio MieraRow 26 - Cell 2
28Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-SRAMRow 27 - Cell 2
29Katia Ragusa (Ita) BePinkRow 28 - Cell 2
30Lucie Lahaye (Fra) Charente-Maritime WomenRow 29 - Cell 2
31Annelies Dom (Bel) Lotto Soudal LadiesRow 30 - Cell 2
32Alana Castrique (Bel) Lotto Soudal LadiesRow 31 - Cell 2
33Leah Thomas (USA) Bigla Pro Cycling TeamRow 32 - Cell 2
34GAFINOVITZ ROTEMRow 33 - Cell 2
35Elise Chabbey (Swi) Bigla Pro Cycling TeamRow 34 - Cell 2
36Ainara Elbusto Arteaga (Spa) Bizkaia-DurangoRow 35 - Cell 2
37Sandra Dos Santos (Por) Eneicue Cycling TeamRow 36 - Cell 2
38Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) Bigla Pro Cycling TeamRow 37 - Cell 2
39Aida Nuno Palaco (Spa) Rio MieraRow 38 - Cell 2
40Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Spa) Movistar Team WomenRow 39 - Cell 2
41Corinna Lechner (Ger) Mexx-Watersley Womens Cycling TeamRow 40 - Cell 2
42Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team WomenRow 41 - Cell 2
43Diana Carolina Pe–uela Martinez (Col) Ale CipolliniRow 42 - Cell 2
44Fien Delbaere (Bel) Health Mate-Ladies TeamRow 43 - Cell 2
45Desiree Ehrler (Swi) Mexx-Wattersley Womens Cycling TeamRow 44 - Cell 2
46Sarah Rijkes (Aut) WNT-Rotor Pro CyclingRow 45 - Cell 2
47Tanja Erath (Ger) Canyon-SRAMRow 46 - Cell 2
48Silvia Pollicini (Ita) Valcar-Cylance CyclingRow 47 - Cell 2
49Natalie Grinczer (GBr) Bizkaia-DurangoRow 48 - Cell 2
50Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Can) WNT-Rotor Pro CyclingRow 49 - Cell 2
51Sandra Trevilla (Spa) Rio MieraRow 50 - Cell 2
52Teresa Ripoll Sabate (Spa) Tactic Women TeamRow 51 - Cell 2
53Anais Morichon (Fra) Charente-Maritime WomenRow 52 - Cell 2
54Irene Mendes Melgarejo (Spa) Rio MieraRow 53 - Cell 2
55Alessia Bulerri (Ita) Eneicue Cycling TeamRow 54 - Cell 2
56Esther Meisels (Isr) Health Mate-Ladies TeamRow 55 - Cell 2
57Tereza Medvedova (Svk) BePinkRow 56 - Cell 2
58Clara Koppenburg (Ger) WNT-Rotor Pro CyclingRow 57 - Cell 2
59Nicole Hanselmann (Swi) Bigla Pro Cycling TeamRow 58 - Cell 2
60Lija Laizane (Lat) Eneicue Cycling TeamRow 59 - Cell 2
61Cristina Martinez Bonafe (Spa) Bizkaia-DurangoRow 60 - Cell 2
62Christina Perchtold (Aut) Health Mate-Ladies TeamRow 61 - Cell 2
63Silvia Zanardi (Ita) BePinkRow 62 - Cell 2
64Ariadna Trias Jordan (Spa) Sopela Women's Team0:00:13
65Giorgia Bariani (Ita) Ale CipolliniRow 64 - Cell 2
66Mireia Trias Jordan (Spa) Sopela Women's TeamRow 65 - Cell 2
67Noemie Abgrall (Fra) Maritime Women CyclingRow 66 - Cell 2
68Lisa Groothuesheidkamp (Ned) Mexx-Watersley Womens Cycling TeamRow 67 - Cell 2
69Alba Teruel Ribes (Spa) Movistar Team WomenRow 68 - Cell 2
70Sandra Moral Ventosinos (Spa) Tactic Women TeamRow 69 - Cell 2
71Andrea Fraile Mas (Spa) Eneicue Cycling TeamRow 70 - Cell 2
72Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spa) WNT-Rotor Pro CyclingRow 71 - Cell 2
73Noemi Ferre Fernandez (Spa) Tactic Women TeamRow 72 - Cell 2
74Chantal Hoffmann (Lux) Lotto Soudal LadiesRow 73 - Cell 2
75Mireia Benito Pellicer (Spa) Tactic Women TeamRow 74 - Cell 2
76Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team WomenRow 75 - Cell 2
77Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) BePink0:00:18
78Chiara Perini (Ita) BePinkRow 77 - Cell 2
79Ziortza Isasi Cristobal (Spa) Eneicue Cycling Team0:00:20
80Alessia Vigilia (Ita) Valcar-Cylance Cycling0:00:54
81Paula Sanmartin Rodriguez (Spa) Eneicue Cycling Team0:01:33
82Jeniffer Alejandra Puentes Barragan (Col) Aleata-CC Farto0:01:39
83Manon Minaud (Fra) Charente-Maritime Women0:02:23
84Sara Martin (Spa) Sopela Womens Team0:02:34

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