“We had the luck on our side” – Raul Garcia Pierna survives late crash chaos for first Movistar win in Valencia finale
Cycling
Raul Garcia Pierna emerged from a chaotic final kilometres in Valencia to take his first professional victory for Movistar, converting a day-long breakaway into a perfectly judged stage win on the closing day of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.
With the general classification already firmly under the control of Remco Evenepoel, attention shifted to the stage itself, where repeated crashes, late attacks and a rapidly closing peloton turned the finale into a test of composure as much as strength. Garcia Pierna was one of the riders still upright and organised when it mattered most.
After the finish, the Movistar rider made clear how much the previous day had fuelled his approach to the finale.
“We’re really happy, because yesterday things didn’t go the way we wanted, and we were left with a bit of frustration. So today we went all in,” Garcia Pierna said in conversation with Cycling Pro Net. “We knew it was a day where the breakaway could make it, and in the end, we had the luck on our side.”
Choosing survival over risk
The decisive moments unfolded on familiar but treacherous roads around Valencia, where several riders hit the deck in the closing kilometres. Garcia Pierna explained that restraint, rather than aggression, shaped his choices as the finish approached.
“In the end, everyone knows the asphalt here, and especially after the crash in the time trial earlier in the week, I preferred not to take unnecessary risks,” he said. “I chose to focus more on surviving than trying something too risky and crashing.”
That measured approach proved decisive as late chaos thinned the front group and allowed Garcia Pierna to position himself for the winning move, while others paid the price for taking chances on slippery corners.
A milestone moment with Movistar
Beyond the immediate result, the stage win carried added weight as Garcia Pierna’s first victory in Movistar colours, coming early in his time with the team. “You always want to win, and especially now, in my first races with Movistar,” he said. “This is what we’d been working for, and that makes it very special.”
The win capped a dramatic final day in Valencia, delivering Movistar a morale-boosting success to close the race, even as Evenepoel completed overall victory. For Garcia Pierna, it was a breakthrough moment built on patience, positioning and a calm head when the finale threatened to unravel.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
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- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026
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