Preview Classica Comunitat Valenciana 2026 - Magnier versus Groenewegen on first sprinter classic of the year

The sprinter-focused Classica Comunitat Valenciana will be taking place on the 25th of January, starting at 12:00CET and finishing at 17:00CET. We take a look at the profile of the race that is set to finish in the city of Valencia itself and preview it.

The Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana is a historic Spanish one-day road race that dates back to 1969, when it was first held. After a long hiatus following 2005, the race was revived in 2021 under its current name, carrying the heritage of the old Valencian classic and quickly regaining a prominent early-season spot on the European calendar, part of the opening week of racing in the continent.

Across its long history, the Clàssica has seen some of cycling’s most illustrious names on its winners’ roll. Legends such as Sean Kelly, Laurent Jalabert, Mario Cipollini, Erik Zabel — the latter holding the record with three victories — and Óscar Freire all claimed wins in the event’s earlier formats, cementing its reputation as a race of prestige in Spanish cycling.

Since its modern return, the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana has continued that tradition of competitive racing but focused on the sprinters. Recent winners include Lorrenzo Manzin in 2021, Giovanni Lonardi in 2022, Arnaud De Lie in 2023, and Dylan Groenewegen in 2024. In the 2025 edition, Swiss rider Marc Hirschi (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) delivered his sole win of the season, taking the win in La Nucia - whilst this year, the course is reversed and starting from the small Spanish town.

The riders start off in La Nucia this time around, climbing the famous Coll de Rates early on through Tarbena - the ride to the summit being easier, however the first part of the ascent being harder than the 'traditiona' ascent of the mountain.

The route is then rather hilly for its first half, but the riders descend into sea level for a then pan-flat arrival into Valencia. It is a day for the sprinters, where the wind can also play a meaningful role towards the end of the race.

*** Paul Magnier, Dylan Groenewegen
** Giovanni Lonardi, Stanislaw Aniolkowski
* Alberto Brutomesso, Ivan García Cortina, Amaury Capiot, Davide Ballerini, Iuri Leitão, César Macias, Marc Brustenga, Bryan Coquard, Emilien Jeannière

Pick: Paul Magnier

How: Regular bunch sprint.