The 73rd edition of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana Gran Premi Banc Sabadell 2022 has officially announced the route of the five stages,held from February 2nd to 6th
The route of the queen stage will contain six mountain passes, each awarded category climbs, and have a mountain finish on a ‘sterrato’ road (unpaved dirt road). The exceptional and exciting stage finish is guaranteed by the end of stage 3 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana Gran Premi Banc Sabadell 2022 (VCV). The 155,1 kilometer route of stage 3 will take place between Alicante and Antenas del Maigmó, Tibi. It is expected that this stage will determine the final winner of the general classification of the VCV 2022.
«For several years we have been searching for a unique mountain finish location, including unpaved dirt road, and we have finally found one that meets the VCV requirements. The finish of stage 3 will be spectacular» explained Paco Benítez, Technical Director of the VCV. “Straight from the start this route will be disputed in a ‘Comanche’ territory by the cyclists. Along the route cyclists will pass six awarded category hill climbs, including the climb of Col de Rates. The great novelty will be the section of an unpaved dirt road just 2 kilometers from the finish line, with a gradient of 10% on average. We expect an epic ending to be remembered for a long time”, explained Paco Benítez.
The VCV 2022 will start on February 2nd from les Alqueries, a town located in Castellón. The route of the first stage will consist of 166,7 kilometers, and the finish location will take place in Torralba del Pinar. Already along this stage the cyclists will need to react well on the movements occurring along with the peloton. In total the first stage includes four points category hill climbs, and the last one will be less than 10 kilometres from the finish line. This will ensure a good and feisty finish on stage 1, while cyclists are striving to compete winning the stage, and to wear the yellow jersey.
Stage 2 will take place on the roads of the province of Valencia, with a 172,1 kilometers route starting from Bétera and finishing in Torrent. This will be a “mid-mountain stage, with nervous and complicated terrain; good for getaways. Stage includes five hill category climbs, including the Alto de Cumbres de Calicanto just 14 kilometers from the finish line. This hill is known for its challenging descent, with many curves. Again, a spectacle finish of the stage is to be expected”, described by Paco Benítez, Technical Director and the main person in charge of the route of each stage of the VCV.
The Queen stage of the event will take place on Friday, February 4th. On the following day, Saturday, February 5th, the stage start will take place in Orihuela and finish at Torrevieja. This stage is optimal for the sprinters, and consists of 193,1 kilometers route, being the longest of the 73rd edition of the VCV. “There is a category hill climb in the middle of the stage (Campules) that should not affect the arrival group formation at the finish line. There will be breakaway attempts, but without a doubt the sprinter teams will be in control ensuring that the finish line is crossed as a group. The finish of this stage can be challenging due to wind effect”, explained Paco Benítez.
Stage 5, celebrated on Sunday, February 6th, will start from Paterna and finish in Valencia. “This will be a short and smooth stage, and a massive sprint finish is almost guaranteed”, recognized the Technical Director of the event.
As a round-up the VCV 2022 will include demanding routes, giving many opportunities for the general classification to change. Everything is getting ready for the 73rd edition of the VCV, celebrated at its usual place on the calendar and that will once again bring together the best cyclists of the international cycling teams.
