Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 2025, Spain, February 5-9

[yaco]

I am certain there will be surprises in this TTT. Hilly TTT's have caused problems with teams pacing strategies.

 

[Rou]

What are some people talking about? First of all the route is nice and the TTT is the best discipline in cycling. Second, UAE will not be the favourites for the TTT IMO. And third, the startlist looks quite good. LIDL should send Skjelmose. He has a good chance to win this.

 

[Rockestar_33]

What are some people talking about? First of all the route is nice and the TTT is the best discipline in cycling. Second, UAE will not be the favourites for the TTT IMO. And third, the startlist looks quite good. LIDL should send Skjelmose. He has a good chance to win this.

Between McNulty (American ITT champ and 5th in the Olympics), Almeida (Literally finished outside the top 10 once last year in the ITT), Baroncini (3rd in the Italian ITT), Groschartner (Multiple podiums in the ITT last year), Johansen (lowest finish last year was 5th in the ITT) and Oliviera (4x top 5 finishes last year) as 6 of their 7 you've gotta be taking the piss, right? The only poor ITT here they have is Sivakov

 

[Landeirovic]

Between McNulty (American ITT champ and 5th in the Olympics), Almeida (Literally finished outside the top 10 once last year in the ITT), Baroncini (3rd in the Italian ITT), Groschartner (Multiple podiums in the ITT last year), Johansen (lowest finish last year was 5th in the ITT) and Oliviera (4x top 5 finishes last year) as 6 of their 7 you've gotta be taking the piss, right? The only poor ITT here they have is Sivakov

Sivakov poor itt is relative. Mcnulty last year won 4 ITT. Uae Tour ITT, NC ITT, Romandia ITT, vuelta stage ITT

 

[Peyroteo94]

Sivakov poor itt is relative. Mcnulty last year won 4 ITT. Uae Tour ITT, NC ITT, Romandia ITT, vuelta stage ITT

UAE team is going to destroy the TTT. It is hard to imagine they will not win the GC when they have Sivakov, Almeida and McNulty.

 

[Squire]

I don't think it's a given that UAE runs away with the TTT. Depends heavily on the lineups, and I haven't seen a complete startlist yet. Almost any of the WT teams can do well there.

Yeah, nevermind.

Looking at the startlist, we can just give it to UAE already. Ineos the only team capable of being close.

 

[rollingstoner]

Besides Ineos and Uae, I think Movistar and Lidl can do a good job in the TTT too.
Lidl has Milan, Hoole, Vacek and Søderqvist, all 4 really strong on hilly/flat TT

 

[tobydawq]

Besides Ineos and Uae, I think Movistar and Lidl can do a good job in the TTT too.
Lidl has Milan, Hoole, Vacek and Søderqvist, all 4 really strong on hilly/flat TT

Perhaps, but they don't have anyone for GC.

 

[armchairclimber]

There's a heck of a lot of climbing to do over the following 3 days. Sure Almeida and McNulty look favourites... but Martinez, O'Connor, Vlasov, Castrillo or even Blackmore might throw spanners in the works.

 

[danielovichdk2]

Update me on the news no one seems to be talking about. Why is Visma not here ? What did I miss ?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Update me on the news no one seems to be talking about. Why is Visma not here ? What did I miss ?

They didn't race it last year either, and this season they're going to Oman instead.

 

[danielovichdk2]

They didn't race it last year either, and this season they're going to Oman instead.

I actually wasn't aware of last year either. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Hilarious approach to make the first 2 stages of a 5 day race the most deceisive.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Hilarious approach to make the first 2 stages of a 5 day race the most deceisive.

Which means more agressive racing in the last 2 days (ok, not the last one because it is a flat stage)

 

[tobydawq]

Which means more agressive racing in the last 2 days (ok, not the last one because it is a flat stage)

Quite an acid test for that theory this race will be.

Sorry for the Yoda like word order.

 

[Berniece]

Which means more agressive racing in the last 2 days (ok, not the last one because it is a flat stage)

Doubt we'll see much action in those days. Pretty sure it'll end in a sprint

 

[Escarabajo]

LOL Reading all the comments.

But seriously, who would put a 34.5 km TTT in a 5 day race????

 

[Peyroteo94]

Doubt we'll see much action in those days. Pretty sure it'll end in a sprint

Unfortunately I think the same but I don't dislike this approach. What is really obnoxious, is how they put a 34 km TTT favouring a lot the best team (I think it will be UAE). I can see gc riders like O'Connor, Vlasov, Hindley 30 seconds behind Sivakov, McNulty and Almeida. It is very hard to gain 30 seconds in the next 2 stages.

 

[Berniece]

Unfortunately I think the same but I don't dislike this approach. What is really obnoxious, is how they put a 34 km TTT favouring a lot the best team (I think it will be UAE). I can see gc riders like O'Connor, Vlasov, Hindley 30 seconds behind Sivakov, McNulty and Almeida. It is very hard to gain 30 seconds in the next 2 stages.

Indeed, it's going to make the GC battle quite boring. That first day, I'm also looking more forward to the Etoile Besseges sprint compared to the TTT

 

[Rob5091]

Little Lenny M and big Jonathan Milan, my 2 to watch. Otherwise Hindley and Vlasov for Bora, who'll be team leader?

 

[Lequack]

First race for Jungles in his new team

 

[Anderis]

But seriously, who would put a 34.5 km TTT in a 5 day race????

Why not?

This is a pretty insignificant race, not even WT. I don't feel the need for every race in the calendar to be "balanced", I want some variety, including meaningful TTTs.

 

[Sciatic]

First race for Jungles in his new team

That's a funny play on the current custom for "1st day of school." I don't know if it's a thing outside the U.S. (or if you're not parents or don't have nieces/nephews) but the former simple tradition of just taking a photo of a young child's 1st day of school has turned into a social media-ready activity with pre-printed signage for the kid to hold up. Nice meme of that by Ineos!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Why not?

This is a pretty insignificant race, not even WT. I don't feel the need for every race in the calendar to be "balanced", I want some variety, including meaningful TTTs.

There was once a proper use of a TTT, that made it meaningful and didn't ruin anything.

It was in Eindhoven.

Putting 35km of TTT in a 5 day race with only one meaningful climb otherwise (and that being 4km in length)

The climb profile is this one btw, from the junction for Confrides.

After that, the only way that anything other than weather and crashes impacts the GC is an 8km at 6,5% tempo-grinder 22km from the finish in stage 3. Fingers crossed that the lack of easy means by which to break the race up after that and the variable form of a February race means that it means more than it does on paper, but it would be a lot easier to believe in that if we didn't have a 35km TTT that puts the balance of power so heavily behind the teams best equipped to defend it.

Maybe that repecho 9km from home on stage 4 can give us some hope.

You know the rules for acceptable TTTs. Worlds, Velodrome, Standalone, Lenin.

 

[tobydawq]

.

You know the rules for acceptable TTTs. Worlds, Velodrome, Standalone, Lenin.

What about Tim Torn Teutenberg?