Human Powered Health brings a strong squad of hitters to Spain for the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana stage race from February 13 through 16.
With four rolling stages that will throw up a whole host of racing possibilities, the team will be pit against an all-star start list for this early season indicator of where some of the sport’s biggest names are at.
Trofeo Binissalem-Andratx winner Thalita de Jong leads the team in Spain across a parcours that favors her all-rounder skillset. She is joined by Mona Mitterwallner, here competing in her first race in her new colors, climbers Yurani Blanco and Carlotta Cipressi and finish experts Marit Raaijmakers, Wiktoria Pikulik who will be pivotal lieutenants for sprinter Daria Pikulik.
They will line up against a who’s who of women’s professional cycling. Demi Vollering competes for the first time for FDJ-SUEZ, Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) returns to racing and two-time world champion and 2016 Olympic Games victor Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx – Protime) mounts her comeback.
How to watch
The race will be streamed on the SPORTPUBLIC TV YouTube channel.
USA
2/13 Stage 1 – from 9:45 am ET / 8:45 am CT / 7:45 am MT / 6:45 am PT
2/14 Stage 2 – from 9 am ET/ 8 am CT / 7 am MT / 6 am PT
2/15 Stage 3 – from 6:30 am ET / 5:30 am CT / 4:30 am MT / 3:30 am PT
2/16 Stage 4 – from 6:50 am ET / 5:50 am CT / 4:50 am MT / 3:50 am PT
Europe and UK
13/2 Stage 1 – from 15:45 CET / 14:45 GMT
14/2 Stage 2 – from 15:00 CET / 14:00 GMT
15/2 Stage 3 – from 12:30 CET / 11:30 GMT
16/2 Stage 4 – from 12:50 CET / 11:50 GMT
Last month, Thalita de Jong scored an impressive solo victory in Mallorca. This time around she competes in her first stage race for Human Powered Health after impressive GC finishes in 2024.
“I think it is a good race to do before we are heading off to the Classic,” explains the 31-year-old who finished ninth overall last year. “Now we can race in good weather conditions, see how good our level is as a team, see what we still need for the ‘dots on the i’ for the spring. The field is strong this edition with huge names.”
De Jong is excited to test herself against quality opposition.
“I am in good shape, and I am already wondering how well I can do this week,” she said. “I want to make progress again in climbing, especially against the best riders in the world.”
An early season stage race is an important time to take stock before the Classics.
“It’s important to know how the recovery will be so that we can see if the ‘process’ that we worked on is the right way,” de Jong says. “The Classics is busy with a lot of traveling and a lot of WWT races close to each other so a different test. Hopefully, it will be a hard race. We hope that we can make results here as a team against a lot of competition.”
Valenciana is well known for being on big roads which promotes safer racing and gives more space for riders to move up, similar to what the team saw in the UAE. Unlike previous editions though, there is no uphill finish on any of the days.
“There are some climbs every day but not too much,” says de Jong. “Last year we had a really hard third stage, now it is softer; not too many altitude meters. I look at the days when there is a final climb before going to the finish to get over with the favorites. It all depends on the style of racing and my form.”
Setmana Ciclista Valenciana Stage by Stage
2/13 Stage 1 | Alzira – Gandia (112 km) Rolling
Stage 1 is on wide roads but has three categorized climbs to navigate including the Alto de Barx and its long plateau before the race drops down to the finish. With fresh legs in the peloton, it’s the most likely stage to finish in a reduced bunch sprint.
2/14 Stage 2 | Benicàssim – Nules (134 km) Rolling
Stage 2 is where the top names will come to the fore. With climbing from the off, the stage will be attritional and thin out the front group little by little. The result, whether solo, a small group, or even another reduced bunch sprint, depends greatly on how hard the first hour will be raced.
2/15 Stage 3 | Sagunt – Valencia (118 km) Rolling
Like stage 1, stage 3 also has a chance to finish in a reduced group sprint. The 5.6km at 4.9% Port de l’Oronet tops out 32 kilometers from the finish in the region’s capital.
2/16 Stage 4 | Elx – Alicante (132.5 km) Rolling
With 2000m of vertical gain, this blockbuster final day is bound to create headlines that will impact the entire early season. A succession of tough climbs at the start is even tougher than the offering on stage 2, with the parcours then gradually rolling down to Alicante over 57 kilometers from the top of the 12.4km at 3.1% El Collao climb.
Photos: GettySport
