Two riders from CANYON//SRAM Generation step up to the World Tour Team at this week’s Setmana Ciclista Valenciana stage race in Spain. Agua Marina Espinola Salinas and Daniela Schmidsberger will join CANYON//SRAM Racing for the four-day tour from 16 to 19 February. The duo will join Ricarda Bauernfeind, Shari Bossuyt, Neve Bradbury, Alex Morrice and Alice Towers.

Agua Marina says, “I’m happy and motivated to race with CANYON//SRAM Racing this week. I can’t think of a better way to start the 2023 season. My goal is to perform at my best and to be at a level of the team so that I can contribute to our race ambitions.”

For Daniela, it will be her first race as a professional rider, with the 18-year-old this year joining the development team, CANYON//SRAM Generation.

“I have many feelings about Setmana Valenciana. First of all, I am happy to get the opportunity to start my season with the World Tour Team. The stage routes favour me, and I am more than excited for it!” says Daniela.

“I’m coming from the junior category, and the longest race I have done was 105km, so I’m interested to see how my body reacts to the new distances. I’m also curious to see how the races differ from the junior category, where it was usually full gas from the start. I aim to take as much experience as possible, finish each stage, and support the World Tour teammates wherever possible.”

Setmana Ciclista Valenciana will also be the first race for Zwift Academy winner Alex Morrice. Despite debuting for her new team, it’s not the British rider’s first stage race after already competing at the challenging six-day Rás na mBan stage race last year.

“It’s been a whirlwind since I signed my contract with the team, and I just finished the second of two training camps. The team is very supportive, and I enjoyed the training and learning daily. I’m excited about the first race. I want to gain as much experience racing at this level, taking advantage of any opportunities when they arise. I am excited to grow and understand myself as a rider and determine my skillset whilst achieving results as a team,” states Alex.

The first two stages of Setmana Ciclista Valenciana are more suited for sprinters with undulating courses over 119km and 116km, respectively. The third stage is the queen stage, with three categorised climbs, including the 15 km-long Puerto de Tudons climb. The final stage descends into Gandia after the final climb that summits with 13km of the stage remaining.

Ricarda, promoted to the World Tour Team in 2023 following her stellar season with CANYON//SRAM Generation last year, says, “I‘m excited to start the season. I’m especially looking forward to the last stage because the last 20km are only uphill or downhill. I expect it to be a hard stage race and a nice one to start the season with.”

HOW TO WATCH

Setmana Ciclista Valenciana can be followed on Twitter with #SetmanaCiclista23. The stages are broadcast on YouTube by SportPublic TV here and Twitch by A Pie de Puerto here.

Stage 1 | Valencia – Sagunt | 119km | 13:30CET | Broadcast 14:45CET.

Stage 2 | Burriana – Villa-Real | 116km | 13:30CET | Broadcast 14:45CET.

Stage 3 | Agost – Altea | 132km | 12:00CET | Broadcast 13:45CET.

Stage 4 | Tavernes – Gandia | 113km | 11:00CET | Broadcast 12:15CET.

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