Preview Classica Comunitat Valenciana 2026 - Magnier versus Groenewegen on first sprinter classic of the year
Cycling
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.
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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.
Profile: La Nucia - Valencia

La Nucia - Valenia, 206.5 kilometers
Prediction Classica Comunitat Valenciana 2026:
*** 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
** 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.
Original: Rúben Silva
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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