Top ten for Dries Van Gestel on the opening day.
The 77th edition of Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana got underway this Wednesday with a stage between Segorbe and Torreblanca, a finish for the first time this century at the Spanish race. The undulating parcours had only two notable difficulties, Puerto los Madroños and Oropesa del Mar, and it was on the latter that the peloton split due to a sudden change of pace at the front.
Around 20 riders, including Viktor Soenens – a top ten finisher last season at O Gran Camiño – were left in the front group, who found itslf almost half a minute clear on the flat part taking to the finish. One rider quickly attacked, trying to take advantage of the situation, but he was brought back inside the closing kilometer after the second group managed to come across and contributed to the pace-setting.
In the bunch sprint, Dries Van Gestel had a good turn of speed and took ninth place, behind stage winner Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team), while Soenens concluded in the same time and will be among the last batch of riders to roll down the ramp on Thursday, when the race schedules an individual time trial.
Photo credit: ©Szymon Gruchalski / Getty Images
