73rd Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (2.Pro) // February 2nd - 6th 2022

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Out with the old - in with the new
Spain's hope starts his last first Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana!

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Date: 2022-02-02 - 2022-02-06 Race class: 2.Pro Race category: Men Elite UCI-Tour: UCI ProSeries

www.vueltacv.com/en/ www.facebook.com/VueltaCV www.twitter.com/VueltaCV www.instagram.com/vueltacv/

Startlist PCS Stages PCS Top competitors PCS Top GC riders PCS

A really nice startlist of GC/climbers, with Vlasov, Kelderman, Ayuso, Valverde, Mas, Evenepoel, Sivakov, Nibali, Valter, Hart...
A few top sprinters will try their luck in the easier stages, Jakobsen, Viviani, Kristoff, Nizzolo...
And there are a few "curious to see how he does" cases as well, like Ardila, Leemreize, Vader, Rodriguez and obviously Ayuso.
For those interested, here is a video of the race presentation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzv-dEcTY1k

The race will be broadcast on Eurosport.

Stage 3 is the "queenstage" and will likely be deciding the general classification, unless someone already puts the others in their place on stage 1. Click the images to enlarge.

stage 1		stage 2
stage 3	stage 4	stage 5

PS: Carlos Rodriguez turns 21 during stage 1.

 

[Wvv]

A very clear opening post, Logic!
Go Remco.

 

[RedheadDane]

How did you do that taggy-thing?

 

[ice&fire]

The MTF in stage 3 shares the start of the climb with the Balcon de Alicante that hosted stage 7 of last year Vuelta. They just take a different turn with about 2km to go to enter the grey section in the profile, which is unpaved.

 

[Blanco]

Enric Mas will win this bike race.

 

[Netserk]

Pleasant OP, very clean with the stage profiles in a table.

Profile from cyclingcols of the MTF in stage 3:

The whole climb is paved by the way.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Enric Mas will win this bike race.

No Pello Bilbao will win

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Enric Mas will win this bike race.

Mas and winning a one week stage race? I'd be very surprised.

Early season so very hard to say how everyone will look but it wouldn't surprise me if Remco shows up in great form already - having said that, the stages don't really suit him. Stage 2 would be great if not for the final 50km that will probably kill any GC action. Soooo...Valverde?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

How did you do that taggy-thing?

It's not easy. You literally have to input the tags you want in the space to input the tags when creating a thread. Leave it to the pros.

Seriously, there is section for it just above the section for adding a poll. Just write whatever tag in the blank space and click the tag as soon as the browser gives you a proposed tag in a dropdown space. Repeat.

Early season so very hard to say how everyone will look but it wouldn't surprise me if Remco shows up in great form already - having said that, the stages don't really suit him. Stage 2 would be great if not for the final 50km that will probably kill any GC action. Soooo...Valverde?

If he really wants it and is in good form, he could place a signature attack at the very top of the climb in stage 1 at 4k from the finish. Only a select group of riders will be there still, and none of them will be his equal on the flat section leading up to the finish. If they fail to hold his wheel and give him 5m, it's over. He can ride away and take up to 30 seconds in 4k.

 

[ice&fire]

Pleasant OP, very clean with the stage profiles in a table.

Profile from cyclingcols of the MTF in stage 3:

The whole climb is paved by the way.

Then that's not what they're doing according to the race web site.
I've checked the map and ortophotos of the area. The profile shows the fork to Balcón de Alicante with 3km to go, but if they turn to Balcón de Alicante there's another fork up that road where they can take an unpaved mountain track that runs parallel to the paved road to the antennas until they join again.
According to Google Maps, that unpaved section climbs a bit over 140m in 1.8km, and it's adding 100m of distance to the most direct climb through the paved road.

 

[Netserk]

Then that's not what they're doing according to the race web site.
I've checked the map and ortophotos of the area. The profile shows the fork to Balcón de Alicante with 3km to go, but if they turn to Balcón de Alicante there's another fork up that road where they can take an unpaved mountain track that runs parallel to the paved road to the antennas until they join again.
According to Google Maps, that unpaved section climbs a bit over 140m in 1.8km, and it's adding 100m of distance to the most direct climb through the paved road.

Ah, I see. Weird not to take the paved road.

 

[ice&fire]

Ah, I see. Weird not to take the paved road.

Not weird. It's clearly a gimmick.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Ah, I see. Weird not to take the paved road.

QuickStep didn't do a recon of the climb, because they didn't trust their GPS that sent them over the dirt track, thinking "this can't be it", so they did a different route on the mountain.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

PS: Carlos Rodriguez turns 21 during stage 1.

How many km into it?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Climbs

Stage 1
Alto de Costur

El Remolcador

Ayodar + Torralba del Pinar (as far as the village, 5k before the end of the profile)

Stage 2
Gabaldón (first 3.5k only)

Rio Juanes

La Muela: 7.1k at 4.15% as per the APM list of climbs. The profile below matches as far as the junction to Dos Aguas, 6k into the climb.

Fuente la Real

Calicanto (right to left, click link as the forum still won't load images from certain sites)

Stage 3
"Coll de Rates" (they don't actually go to its summit) + Sa Creueta

Alto de Fageca (final 10k only)

Benifallim

Tibi (final 5.4k only)

Then, on the subject of the final climb... the descent and most of it are the same as the Balcón de Alicante stage in last year's Vuelta, as far as 1.7k to go on that stage/2.7k to go on this stage, where they turn right onto the unpaved section. I made the profile below with the elevation data from the roadbook, can't guarantee the quality but it's as much as is on offer.

Stage 4
Campules

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Can't edit my post, I forgot to mention that the finish of stage 2 is 500 meters at 5% as per the roadbook.

Also, they're using the normal route up the climb for parking so it isn't quite for gimmick purposes only.

 

[Netserk]

Can't edit my post, I forgot to mention that the finish of stage 2 is 500 meters at 5% as per the roadbook.

Also, they're using the normal route up the climb for parking so it isn't quite for gimmick purposes only.

Wouldn't they be able to use Balcón de Alicante for that, or whatever they did in the Vuelta?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Wouldn't they be able to use Balcón de Alicante for that, or whatever they did in the Vuelta?

Possibly, the parking would be three times as far away if they did that though.

 

[ice&fire]

Actually the parking would be closer if they parked on the dirt road

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Maybe after the race they can rename El Remolcador to El Remcolador.

 

[tobydawq]

Maybe after the race they can rename El Remolcador to El Remcolador.

The mountain that overcame Remco

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Not even 24hrs, until we - finally - will see Full-gas-Remco for the first time after months of waiting. Can‘t wait…

 

[johnymax]

If he really wants it and is in good form, he could place a signature attack at the very top of the climb in stage 1 at 4k from the finish. Only a select group of riders will be there still, and none of them will be his equal on the flat section leading up to the finish. If they fail to hold his wheel and give him 5m, it's over. He can ride away and take up to 30 seconds in 4k.

Agree, Valverde will be hard to beat

 

[johnymax]

Maybe after the race they can rename El Remolcador to El Remcolador.

Let's go even further and rename it El Remcontador.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Agree, Valverde will be hard to beat

Well, he is known for his breakaway wins.