CANYON//SRAM Racing continue the stage races with Setmana Ciclista Volta Feminina de la Comunitat Valenciana from 15 to 18 February. The team’s roster for the four-day stage race will be Elise Chabbey, Selam Amha Gerefiel, Nastiya Kolesava, Alex Morrice, Antonia Niedermaier, and Kasia Niewiadoma.

The race will see Elise, Antonia and Kasia mark the start of their 2024 seasons. Alongside, will be CANYON//SRAM Generation riders Nastya and Selam who are looking forward to the opportunity to race with the World Tour Team.

The battle for the overall creates exciting racing with a mix of terrain and a queen stage on the penultimate day. As in past editions, the climbs of Barxeta and Barx near to Gandia will give the climbers an opportunity to show their early-season form. The third stage around Alicante, with the Category 1 climb of Carrasqeta and culminating in the Hors Categorie Xorret de Catí, 4km at 11%, just a few kilometres before the finish line, will be the biggest test for the peloton. A final stage in Valencia

RIDER REACTIONS

Nastya Kolesava: “I feel very excited with good thoughts and motivation to start this season. This race will be really hard, especially the third stage with 3000m of elevation gain. Not being a stage race for pure sprinters will be better for our team because we have a strong team for the general classification. From the first stage I believe there will be a fight will be for the GC, where every second counts.”

“I’m very excited for my first race of the season, and especially to do it with CANYON//SRAM Racing! It’s very big opportunity to race with such big names in one squad. My personal goal is to do everything possible to help the team achieve the highest results. And, gain as much experience as possible from my teammates.”

Kasia Niewiadoma: “It’s exciting to be racing so soon again! As it’s my first race this season I’m curious to see where I am at after all the weeks of winter preparation. I feel good on the bike and in a better place than this time last year. If it’s enough to fight for the overall victory, we will find out very soon.”

“I am glad to be racing Velenciana, do my best, suffer in an uncontrollable environment and still have some time to make a little changes if needed before my first big goal of the season at Strade Bianche.”

“All of the stages are interesting and I expect hard racing due to the undulating terrain and some long climbs. Looking at the profiles we can tell that stage three will be the most demanding one and likely will go a long way to decide the GC.”

“Having Selam and Nastya with us is a cool opportunity for them to jump into our group and see how we work and function during a race. I hope they can use the experience and take the lead when racing with CANYON//SRAM Generation and share some tips they’ve spotted or learned from us. If I was a Generation rider racing for a World Tour team that would certainly make me dream big that one day I want to be part of the best team in the world. I hope these four days will inspire them to fight beyond their own limits.”

Elise Chabbey: “My winter training was disrupted with a knee injury that’s taken a long time to recover. It’s the first time in my career that I had to rest completely for over one month. That means my season preparation is quite delayed but in another way I’m fresher mentally. I’m incredibly motivated to start my season in Valencia! I’m not in shape yet because I started training back on the bike again in January, so I expect nothing from myself for this tour but I will be helping the team the best I can and with that, I’m sure I will get some speed in the legs again.”

Selam Amha Gerefiel: “I am very excited to race with the World Tour riders and I am looking forward to help and support my teammates.”

HOW TO WATCH

Setmana Ciclista Volta Feminina de la Comunitat Valenciana is broadcast on SportPublicTV YouTube channel and can be followed on X with #SetmanaCiclista.

STAGE 1 | 15 February | Tavernes de la Valldigna – Gandía, 113 km | Start 14:00CET | Broadcast 15:10CET

STAGE 2 | 16 February | Borriol – La Vall d’Uixò, 117 km | Start 13:00CET | Broadcast 14:10

STAGE 3 | 17 February | Alicante – Xorret de Catí, 129 km |Start 12:00CET | Broadcast 13:45CET

STAGE 4 | 18 February | Sagunt – Valencia, 118 km | Start 11:00CET | Broadcast 12:30CET

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