The VCV 2025 kicks off with a Team Time Trial at Orihuela
Tribute to Bernardo Ruiz on the centenary of his birth on a crucial day for the general classification
04/03/2025. The 76th edition of the Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana kicks off this Wednesday with a demanding team time trial in Orihuela, the hometown of Bernardo Ruiz, the first Spanish cyclist to reach the podium in the Tour de France and winner of the Vuelta a España in 1948. The opening stage, in addition to paying tribute to a cycling legend, will set the first gaps in the general classification and set the tone for the competition.
The team time trial course features a technical and fast route, with long straights where speed will be crucial, but also sections where coordination and strategy within each squad will play a key role. The day will be particularly significant for teams aspiring to the general classification, aiming to minimise losses or, in the best case, take an early advantage.
Favourites and key aspects of the stage
The top WorldTour teams are the main candidates to make a difference in this opening time trial. UAE Team Emirates, with specialists such as current race champion Brandon McNulty, João Almeida and Pavel Sivakov, aim to place their leader in a prime position from the start. INEOS Grenadiers, featuring Carlos Rodríguez and Tobias Foss, also emerge as a team to watch, alongside Bahrain Victorious, which boasts a strong squad led by Pello Bilbao, Jack Haig, and Colombian Santiago Buitrago.
Other teams that could set benchmark times throughout the afternoon include Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, with Aleksandr Vlasov and Jai Hindley, as well as Movistar Team, which will seek to shine on home soil. Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck also bring competitive line-ups for the discipline.
Start order and strategy
The first team to start will be Euskaltel-Euskadi at 14:41, while the last to set off will be Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 16:05. Strategy will be crucial, as teams starting later will have the advantage of partial time references from their rivals, although they may also face changing wind conditions.
The battle for victory in this first stage promises excitement until the final kilometre. The 2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana kicks off with a tribute to its history and guaranteed spectacle on the roads of Orihuela.