In a calendar full of one-day events in the first three months of the season, the Setmana Valenciana is practically the only exception until the end of April. It will be the only event in stages that a telephone squad faces until then, which will attend here the great debut of its star, Annemiek van Vleuten, in a long programme that should take her to the three ‘Grand’ races in the summer.
The climbs to Barxeta (4th) and Barx (2nd), where ‘Miek’ blew up the race in 2021, will be present again on the first day (Thursday 17), with arrival in Gandía. It will be the uncomfortable start to a race that will then head south to compete in Cocentaina (Friday 18) for a sawtooth stage in its 2nd stage, with only one scoring point -Confrides (1st)- but with endless slopes in the interior of Alicante .
On Saturday the 19th, a queen stage worthy of the name will come. 135 respectable kilometres and a steep profile (2,800m of climbing), with the Remolcador (1st) and, above all, the Collao (1st; 13 km at 5%) with the finish line in Vistabella (1st; 7 km at 5 ,5%). The general classification will be decided there, since the last day (Sunday 20), despite passing through the Oronet, will be for sprinters.