2023 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana Stage 2 Results & Recap
Stage 2 of the 2023 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
The Italian rider for Trek-Segafredo won the most mountainous stage of the VCV 2023, showing his best virtue, speed, against climbers such as Aleksandr Vlasov, Teo Geoghegan Hart, Mikel Landa or Pello Bilbao. The VCV - Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana has a new leader. The Italian Giulio Ciccone(TFS) has taken the second stage of the Valencian round with authority at the sprint, finishing at the Alto de Pinos, Benissa. In the most mountainous stage of this VCV 2023, it has been seen who is in top form at the beginning of the season and who needs a couple of weeks more of running-in. Ciccone, as well as Pello Bilbao, Mikel Landa, Aleksandr Vlasov or Teo Geoghegan Hart have shown to be strong, while others like Carlos Rodríguez or Marc Soler have lost some time in the last ramp.
Few differences in a stage that started from the Velodrome of Novelda, with a great atmosphere. The start was attended by the Director General of Sports of the Generalitat Valenciana, Josep Miquel Moya; the Mayor of Novelda, Francisco José Martínez Alted; the Councillor for Sports of Novelda, Carlos Vizcaíno Sánchez; the Deputy Director General of Banco Sabadell, Jaime Matas; the Deputy Director General of Banco Sabadell, Fernando Canós; the Regional Director of Elche Vinalopó, Jesús Cifuentes; and the Director General of the VCV 2023, Ángel Casero.
The stage had a breakaway formed very early on. In it, Mulu Kinfe, Samuele Zoccarato, Javier Romo, Alessandro de Marchi and Benjamin Perry have come to enjoy more than six minutes of advantage with the peloton. But in a stage with up to seven mountain passes and a summit finish, it was difficult for the group not to catch them. De Marchi and Romo were the ones who held on the longest. They reached the summit of Cumbres del Sol with more than a minute's lead, but the group was already regulating.
They knew that the breakaway was not going to reach the finish line and they were able to hold on until the last climb, 14 kilometres up the Sierra de Bernia to the Alto de Pinos, when they were caught. It was difficult for an attack to triumph, with a long and steady climb, and so the group reached the last kilometre more or less compact. There, the Italian Giulio Ciccone knew he was strong and showed why. Tremendous display of power from the Italian rider of Trek-Segafredo, who won with ease. Pello Bilbao came in second, demonstrating that he is a clear favourite for the final victory after showing his strength in Australia last week; and\nAleksandr Vlasov, defending champion in this VCV, came in third. The Russian has not yet said his last word.
This Friday, third stage of the VCV - Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana Gran Premi Banc Sabadell 2023, starting in Bétera and finishing in Sagunto. In between, climbs to Garbí and l'Oronet, new opportunities to try attacks that compromise the favourites for the final general classification.
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