Stijn Vandenbergh (Etixx-QuickStep) was finally rewarded for his loyal domestique services when he took a hugely surprising win in the flat final stage of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. The Belgian made an unexpected move on the finishing circuit and managed to hold off the peloton by a few seconds before Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) beat Raymond Kreder (Roompot) in the sprint for second. Wout Poels (Sky) took the overall win ahead of Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) and his teammate Benat Intxausti.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Wout Poels eyes overall win in Ruta del Sol after big win in Valencia

Wout Poels clinched a superb overall victory at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana with a safe passage through the final stage.

 

With a 46-second advantage the Dutchman just had to cross the line without issue on the streets of Valencia to be assured of victory as the bunch contested the final test.

 

Leading the revamped event from start to finish, Poels rocketed into an early lead with victory in the opening time trial, and extended that advantage in style on Saturday's queen stage with another stage win.

That show of strength also enabled Poels to wrap up the points, mountains and combination jerseys, while Team Sky also placed more riders in prominent positions on the general classification - claiming the team prize in the process.

 

In his stage race debut for the team Benat Intxausti secured third place overall, 56 seconds back on Poels, with Leopold Konig also taking 10th position overall at 1:50 back. Victory for Poels wrapped up an impressive 24 hours for the team, with Chris Froome also taking the yellow jersey thousands of miles away at the Herald Sun Tour.

 

Team Sky moved up in the closing stages to control the situation heading onto the finishing circuit before a glut of sprinters' teams took hold.

 

Those teams were left disappointed as Stijn Vandenbergh (Etixx - Quick-Step) attacked with three laps to go and was able to narrowly hold off the field, despite the unfortunate situation of a plastic bag becoming caught in the rear of his bike.

 

"I was afraid because the wind was very strong,” Poels said at the press conference. “It's been a stressful day. We had to be careful , but we had a great team and we were in front all the time. They have done a fantastic job and it made ​​everything easier.

 

"I have two great goals. The first is to support Chris Froome in the Tour and the other is to go to the Olympic Games. In a week and a half, there is the Vuelta a Andalucia and with this form I want to try to make a good GC and then I will do Tirreno – Adriatico. There are many beautiful races in which I hope to have the same condition.”

 

After a lengthy podium ceremony for Poels and the team, Sport Director Dario Cioni was full of praise for the way the riders approached the race.

 

"The race showed that Wout was the strongest rider - but also the team on the whole showed that they could control every stage," said the Italian. "There was never a moment when we were under pressure. Even today when it turned out to be pretty windy we'd spoken about it in the meeting and the guys were ready at the start. 

 

"The new guys fitted in really well. Alex (Peters) did a superb job. He found some support from Nico and Kiry who gave him some advice to help him. He's shown he's a really intelligent rider and he can be really strong - even today at the end of the race he was up there no problem. It actually looked like he was getting stronger and stronger in the race so he's showing great potential for the future. 

 

"Benat has been brought into the team as a climber and he's shown he can do that at a high level. He can climb, he can time trial. A podium finish in his first stage race of the year is really good. We also had Leo top 10 here. Even Kiry showed us why is is the world time trial champion a few times in this race. David, Mikel and everyone rode a really good race."

 

Stijn Vandenbergh: I just told myself that I had nothing to lose

With around 15 kilometers left of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana's final stage, just as the peloton got accustomed to the urban circuit in Valencia, Stijn Vandenbergh decided to make his move and leave the pack together with Mirco Maestri (Bardiani). Not many would have credited them with a real chance of giving the sprinters the slip on such a flat course, but in no time the gap between the two and the chasers hit the 30-second mark, and that made Vandenbergh believe he can go all the way.

 

As soon as he crossed the line at the end of the 3rd (out of 6) lap of the day, the Etixx – Quick-Step rider powered away from his Italian companion and went solo, still having half a minute in hand. But the real action of the day was yet to begin, being triggered minutes later, when a plastic bag got stuck in the back wheel of Stijn Vandenbergh's bike and his advantage began to drop. Despite this, he didn't give up and put in a monumental effort, which helped him enter on the final lap with a gap that hovered between 15 and 20 seconds over the peloton led by Cofidis and Katusha.

 

A man of all seasons, capable to take matters into his own hands when he senses an opportunity, the 31-year-old rode hard in those endless final two kilometers, managed to hold off the bunch and crossed the line victorious, upsetting the sprinters and notching the team's 8th win of 2016, and the 5th of the week, one which proved to be more than great for Etixx – Quick-Step, in both the Dubai Tour and Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.

 

"I came in good shape here, felt really strong, and when we entered on the circuit I said to myself that I have nothing to lose if I give it a shot. I tried not to think of the peloton, to go full gas, and in the end it all paid off. It's really nice to win and to get more confidence ahead of the spring, especially as it has been quite a long time since my previous success", said Stijn Vandenbergh, an ever-loyal team rider, who scored his first victory in almost 9 years, the previous one being recorded at the 2007 Tour of Ireland, where he came at the top of the overall standings.

 

Besides the victory in Valencia, on Sunday, Etixx – Quick-Step nailed another stage success earlier this week in the Spanish race, thanks to Daniel Martin, who conquered Alto de Fredes, on Thursday. In the general classification, the best placed rider of the team was Luxembourg champion Bob Jungels, who finished 12th.

 

Astana confident after successul Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

"Beyond the good second place in GC conquered by Luis Leon Sanchez, I am happy with the team because usually the first race of the season is a test of the preparatory work done during the winter,” explained Astana Sports Director Giuseppe Martinelli.

“We were beaten only by a team that is in top form at the moment so I can say that we go back home serene, motivated and already focused on the next targets.”
 

Dylan Groenewegen: Cofidis asked me to help but all my guys had crashed

In the final stage of the Volta a la Valenciana, Dylan Groenewegen sprinted to second place behind solo escapee Stijn Vandenbergh. The Belgian of Etixx-Quick-Step crossed the finish line just before the pack with final overall winner Wout Poels (Sky).

 

The stage was relatively flat and had only one obstacle halfway through. Team LottoNL-Jumbo stayed with Groenewegen on the third category climb to bring him back to the peloton in the event of problems. On the descent, almost the entire team slid out in a corner and crashed. Only Groenewegen could continue quickly.

 

"We had bad luck on the descent of the Alto Oronet. Five riders from our team slid, including Paul Martens and Tom Leezer. Dylan was okay and could quickly continue, but the rest stood still,“ said sports director Merijn Zeeman. "Dylan was able to still join the first group, but was isolated because the other boys could never return. It’s extra sour when you finish second that way."

 

In the streets of Valencia, the riders had six short laps to cover. Sprinter Nacer Bouhanni’s team, Cofidis, did not take the initiative and asked Groenewegen if his team wanted to work to catch escapee Vandenbergh.

 

"Cofidis asked for help, but my guys all crashed," said Groenewegen. "We were well grouped when we suddenly slipped with the whole group in a corner. I was able to jump quickly on my bike. I then made my own race. It is unfortunate that I had nobody with me in the final, perhaps the outcome would have been different otherwise. But it was strong of Stijn to keep the lead. Bouhanni tried to slow me down in the last corner. I came over him and won the bunch sprint easily."

 

Team LottoNL-Jumbo can look back on a successful Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana with a win and a second place, and the time trail of Victor Campenaerts provides perspective.

 

"As a team we rode well," Groenewegen continued. "Valencia will serve us well for the next race.”

 

Raymond Kreder close to first win for Roompot in first race of the year

Roompot - Orange Peloton was on the podium in the first race for the team in the new road season. Raymond Kreder finished third in the last stage of the Vuelta a la Valenciana. In addition, the riders were regularly on the attack.

 

Sjoerd van Ginneken was as part of the break of the day in the queen stage. Pieter Weening was the highest classified rider from the team. The strong Dutchman showed himself in the harder stages, with a 13th place in the queen stage being the best result.

 

One day earlier, former team rider Dylan Groenewegen managed to win the stage while Raymond Kreder finished fifth. The youngest of the four Kreders then sprinted to the first podium in the final stage. "It is always nice to start well but I will not just be content with places of honor," Kreder said.

 

Movistar and Izagirre narrowly miss out on the podium in Valencia

The Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana took its curtain down on Sunday after happily coming back from the shadows following an eight-year stop. The 105km stage five around Valencia confirmed Wout Poels' (SKY) overall victory, as Stijn Vandenbergh (EQS) took a surprise solo win in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (Town Hall Square).

 

Movistar Team bid farewell to the Eastern race without the same fortune they found in previous races, yet grabbing some decent results. Ion Izagirre finished in fourth place overall, just five seconds off the podium, after suffering a crash in the opening TT to Oropesa - the time lost there likely cost him the win - and recovering significantly from out of the top-15 in the GC. The Basque was sixth atop Fredes, 12th in Alzira's bunch sprint on Friday and even third yesterday in Xorret de Catí, behind Poels and former team-mate Beñat Intxausti (SKY).

 

The Blues' consistent performances were rounded off by Javi Moreno and Jesús Herrada. The Andalusian ended in fifth spot after a regular, quiet race, ever since the TT (11th) and until the Queen stage (10th). Meanwhile, the younger of the Herradas came close to success on day two - only beaten by Daniel Martin (EQS) - and balanced his struggling in steep ramps like Xorret's - 12th, more than a minute behind - with a fine TT (5th). He even went on the attack today on the descent of the Alto del Oronet.

 

The good teamwork from Dayer Quintana and José Herrada - caught with 800m from the finish in  Fredes - and the flat support group formed by Arcas - exciting pro debut for the Aragonese - Erviti (10th in the TT) and Ventoso reasserts the collective value from the riders directed by Jaimerena and Laguía. Together with the Blues' magnificent display in the Dubai Tour, the Movistar Team reminds, once again, the idea that Quintana and Valverde are only the top of the iceberg leading to UCI WorldTour ranking wins in 2013-15.

 

IAM impressed by big Reto Hollenstein on steep Valencia climbs

“I was able to stay with the best climbers on the queen stage,” Reto Hollenstein said at the end of the Vuelta Valenciana, where he took 14th place.  “The gradient was steep, but I gave absolutely everything to get the best result possible.  I was just missing twelve seconds to be able to crack the top-10.  And I lost those few seconds in the time trial.  Even without winning a stage, this race provided an excellent training block and preparation for the whole team.  I am certain we will start getting the top results in the coming races.”

 

“I definitely saw how promising Reto Hollenstein is during this Tour of Valencia,” Rik Verbrugghe confessed.  “He was strong in the time trial as well as during the more mountainous stages where you would not expect someone of his size to be present.  This certainly proves with what good condition he has started the season.  Jonas Van Genechten also showed he could play a leading role in the sprints.  He is still missing some of the details for the finer points. But in view of the results he obtained in Spain this week, we will have a team capable of going on the offensive and ready to race at the Ruta del Sol and the Tour of Algarve.”

 

Jonas Van Genechten was 5th inthe streets of Valencia for this fifth and final stage. Caught off guard byStijn Vandenbergh, the peloton was only fighting for second place on the line, having mistimed the catch and ended by finishing a handful of seconds behind the stage winner.

 

Katusha confident in Porsev after solid showing in Valencia

We all expected a mass sprint in the streets of Valencia at the end of the 5th and last stage of the Tour of Valencia, the sprint was there, be it only for the second place. Stijn Vandenbergh (Etixx – Quick-Step) managed to get away in the the six short  (2,5 km) local laps after 98 km of racing and the sprinters teams were unable to catch him back. They just missed by one second. Team KATUSHA’s Aleksandr Porsev finished 5th in the bunch sprint and 6th in the stage result.

 

”We were all looking at Cofidis as they had Nacer Bouhanni as the big favorite for the stage win. Apparently they were not strong enough. Team KATUSHA did everything for me in the first part of the stage. All teammates surrounded me the first 50 km. That worked in my favor as they were all around me when the peloton split. We were all-in the first group but in the final, on those local laps, I had to do it alone. We are not in this race with a real lead-out group and the circuit was so short and very technical. It was hard to be organized as a team. Most likely that was also the reason why the sprinters teams could not take control of the race in the final. I tried to focus on Bouhanni’s wheel but in the last corner I lost that position. Anyway, it was already a lost sprint as Vandenbergh stayed in the front,” said Aleksandr Porsev.

 

“I can only be satisfied with the team’s work and motivation. It was for all our riders their first race of the season. We were not here with specialists for the kind of stages like today, but they all showed the right attitude and in the beginning they kept control of the race for Porsev. Aleksandr is also doing very well, better and stronger than last year. He can be an important rider for us in the Spring classics. This race is a good sign for me of what is yet to come,” concluded Team Director José Azevedo.

 

Bardiani neo-pro nearly makes big coup in Valencia

In the circuit of Valencia, Bardiani looked for the big shot with Mirco Maestri who attacked with Vandenbergh 12 km from the finish.

 

The young Italian rider kept his attempt alive until 5km remained when the expert Belgian of Etixx-QuickStep forced the pace, went alone and won the stage. In the bunch sprint, Colbrelli took 7th place and Ruffoni 9th place.

 

“It was not a planned action but an impulsive attack,” said Maestri. “I was leading the bunch while just after a bend I found myself alone with some meters of advantage. I saw no one following me and I decided to speed up. When Vandenbergh caught me we proceeded together, but maybe I was mistakenly too generous. I paid for my inexperience in front with a strong rider like him, but anyway I learned something.”

 

Matti Breschel shows form for the classics in Valencia

Volta Valenciana finished today with an abbreviated circuit race in in Valencia. Matti Breschel was Cannondale’s man for the city circuit, and he came up with eighth place in the sprint.

 

DS Johnny Weltz on the day and the race as a whole: "We had the idea to ride for Matti again today. With the wind, it would be more like a Classics stage than a sprinter's stage.

 

”The guys did a good job. They all was in the front group of the field. Kristoffer [Skjerping] did a good job to help Matti in the sprint where he finished in eighth place.

 

”The team all showed they have moved forward in condition over these five days, and they only need a bit more of racing to get the last little bit they need to fight for the win. The riders finished healthy and optimistic about their form, and I was happy to see how they worked better and better together each day."

 

Eduard Prades shows more sprinting potential in Valencia

On the final stage of Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, the Caja Rural - Seguros RGA riders were, once again, an important factor in animating the race. The team has been riding very aggressively in the first races of the new season and this Sunday was no exception.
 
Ricardo Vilela was the first rider to show off the team colors and his Fuji bike when he got away with two other riders. The peloton didn’t let them get a big gap and, soon after, a new front group has formed. This time, Caja Rural - Seguros RGA was represented by Domingos Gonçalves. However, with 40 km left to go, this break, too, was reeled back in by a peloton very eager not to let this last chance of a bunch sprint slip away.
 
On the final laps in Valencia, Stijn Vandenbergh (Etixx-Quickstep) attacked together with Mirco Maestri (Bardiani-CSF). The peloton seemed to have everything under control but at the end, Vandenbergh managed to solo away and keep the sprinters behind him to take the win. Eduard Prades did very well to finish 10th on the stage.
 
“Even though we knew that this wasn’t a great finish for us, the team still helped me a lot in the final kilometers to stay close to the sprinters,” he said. “The truth is that I had very good legs today so I gave it a try. Unfortunately, my lane wasn’t very good and I got boxed in but these things happen in the sprints, especially when you’re not really a sprinter.”
 
Prades was also the best-placed Caja Rural - Seguros RGA rider in the general classification.  His 8th place on the uphill finish on stage 2 helped him finish in 17th place overall. Wout Poels (Team Sky) won the race.
 
Caja Rural - Seguros RGA also finished the day on the podium with Antonio Molina as he was awarded best Valencian rider in the race.

“I’m very satisfied with the team,” sports director Josemi Fernandez said. “The riders have done well in all the stages and we are definitely on a good path to fulfill our objectives.  Today’s stage was very fast with many breakaway attempts. We worked in the peloton to catch the first breaks in order to set up Prades and Gonçalves. However, at the end, the pace was very high on the final circuit and that decided the race.”

 

Tour of Austria winner off to a solid start with CCC Sprandi

Victor de la Parte was part of the breakaway of the day and two other CC tried their luck earlier in the last stage of Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. Eventually it was a late attack that decided the race and Stijn Vandenbergh grabbed a well deserved solo win. De la Parte finished the competition in 20th place overall.

 

”I felt better with every day of racing. Today I was trying to attack and I was hoping I could arrive at the circuit in Valencia with a gap over the peloton and move up in the GC. Unfortunatelym I didn’t manage to pull that off, but I had a chance to test the legs on the climb and make a selection in my group. It gave me the confidence that my preparation is going the right direction,” Victor de la Parte said afterwards. “I think we, as a team, did a good job throughout the entire race. We were aggressive and present in almost every move. It was a solid performance, taking into consideration that it was our first race of the season with this line-up. ”

 

Filippo Fortin confirms his good form in Volta a la Valenciana

In the sprint of the peloton, Filippo Fortin was placed 13th and so the GM Europa Ovini rider was the best from a continental team at the finish line of the stage.

 

“I’m happy with how I lived these weeks in Spain,” Filippo Fortin said, #because at the Challenge Mallorca and at the Vuelta Valenciana I was in the top 10 two times and in two other races I was close to the top 10. It was a great workout for me and my companions ahead of the upcoming races of the season.”

 

Valencia climb too tough for Southeast’s Jakub Mareczko

There was nothing to celebrate for Team Southeast – Venezuela in the last stage of Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana. The Alto de Oronet was too hard for Jakub Mareczko who lost ground with the main bunch on the climb and finished 3.00 behind the stage winner.

 

Liam Bertazzo and Julen Amezqueta were able to stay with the peloton, with the Italian rider ending 21st in the final sprint while the Spanish climber was the best of the Southeast riders in the general classification with a good 26th place in his first race as a professional.

 

The next Spanish race for the team will be Vuelta a Andalucia from the 17th of February.