It might nonetheless be solely February, however the highway to the Tour de France Femmes begins this week for 2023 winner Demi Vollering on the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana.
The Dutchwoman is about to make her season debut on the Spanish stage race, which kicks off on February 12 in Gandia and concludes 4 days later in Valencia.
Vollering will get her second season at FDJ United-Suez underway on the four-stage race, returning to the occasion the place she began her 2025 season. Final yr, she transformed a gap stage win into total victory on the race, beating Movistar’s Marlen Reusser to the highest spot by 34 seconds.
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There are hills scattered all through the race route, however all eyes will certainly be on the queen stage 3 from Agost to La Nucia. The day options 2,600 metres of elevation, together with the first-category Port de Tudons (15km at 5%), the second-category Port de Confrides (6.4km at 4.8%), and a descent to the end line.
Phases 1, 2, and 4 pose lesser challenges, with riders set to face 1,300 metres of elevation achieve on the primary two, whereas the nearer options 1,000 metres of climbing, together with the second-category Port de l’Oronet (5.4km at 4.9%) at 31km from the road.
European champion Vollering, who final yr discovered success in Spain on the La Vuelta Femenina, Itzulia Ladies, and Volta a Catalunya, has been doing her homework forward of the race, final Friday tackling a six-hour, 152.5km recon experience on a lot of the course of that important stage 3.
In fact, it is not solely the tough terrain she’ll must deal with this week, although she is the standout favorite to retain her total title.
Although most groups are but to formally affirm their line-ups for the race beginning on Thursday, we expect appearances from riders like world champion Magdeleine Vallieres, Pauliena Roooijakkers (UAE Workforce ADQ), Liane Lippert (Movistar) and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal).
