Queen stage set to define Volta overall
02 February 2018

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (st. 3)

Alejandro Valverde to start day four towards Las Canteras' mountain-top finish in yellow after TTT is not counted for the GC due to foul weather conditions.

What was expected to be a decisive team time trial in the 59th Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana didn’t turned out so as foul weather conditions over the Costa Blanca on Friday evening forced the organisers and jury to not take the results of stage four into account for the overall standings. Thar way, Alejandro Valverde remained on top of the GC following a cautious, still-fast ride by the Spaniard and his six Movistar team-mates over the 23km course towards Calpe, where they finished 11th behind winners BMC.

Valverde’s fantastic win in Albuixech on Thursday got him into the yellow leader’s jersey before Saturday’s Queen stage: a 184km trek from Orihuela to the Alto de las Canteras (Cat-1) in Cocentaina, after the demanding climbs of Maigmó (Cat-2), Tibi (Cat-2), Carrasqueta (Cat-1) and 2x Benillup (Cat-3). Alejandro and the Movistar Team will defend their 4″ and 6″ gaps on Astana duo Sánchez / Fuglsang, with all other race contenders 29″ behind.

Picture (c): Photo Gomez Sport