Iván Romeo completes a great attack and wins solo in the third stage of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

Alpuente, february 6, 2025. The third stage of the 2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana was marked by an aggressive breakaway and an exciting finale on the final climb. Iván Romeo (Movistar Team) secured a prestigious victory after launching an attack 16 kilometers from the finish and resisting the chase attempts of the favorites on the demanding climb to El Remedio (1st category).

The Spanish rider crossed the finish line solo with a time of 4:26:16, also earning a 10-second time bonus. Behind him, Colombian Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) led the chasing group, finishing 10 seconds behind the winner and earning an 8-second bonus, while João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG) completed the day’s podium and added 7 additional seconds.

The group of favorites, including riders such as Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Jefferson Cepeda (Movistar Team), and Jai Hindley (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe), arrived compact at the finish, 10 seconds behind the winner.

The stage, featuring a hilly profile with three categorized climbs, favored breakaway specialists. A group of six riders animated the break of the day, including Francisco Muñoz (Team Polti VisitMalta) and Matteo Scalco (VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè), reaching a maximum lead of nearly six minutes. However, the control exerted by Bahrain Victorious and UAE Team Emirates gradually reduced the gap, catching the breakaway riders on the ascent to El Remedio, the most significant climb of the stage.

At that moment, decisive moves began. João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) attempted a surprise attack but were caught on the descent. Meanwhile, race leader Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), who had suffered a crash earlier in the stage, lost contact with the group of favorites. Seizing a moment of hesitation in the main group, Iván Romeo launched his decisive move. The Movistar Team rider quickly opened a gap, extending his lead beyond 20 seconds. Behind him, Tobias Foss (INEOS Grenadiers) led the chase, but Romeo managed his effort intelligently, maintaining his advantage in the final kilometers.

In the overall classification, João Almeida claims the leader’s jersey with a total time of 9:14:31, closely followed by Santiago Buitrago, just 2 seconds behind. Pello Bilbao sits in third place, 21 seconds behind the Portuguese rider.

The day was also marked by an emotional tribute in Algemesí to the victims of the DANA storm, attended by authorities and representatives of the security and emergency services. Among those present were Luis Cervera (General Director of Sports of the Generalitat Valenciana), Vicente Mompó (President of the Valencia Provincial Council), José Javier Sanchis (Mayor of Algemesí), Fernando Canós (Deputy General Director of Banco Sabadell), Nuria Codina (Regional Director for Southern Valencia of Banco Sabadell), Ángel Casero (General Director of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana), and Juan Enrique Ribes (Sports Councillor of Algemesí)