Stage 1: Castelló → Vila-Real, 180 km Full Results and Report
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Philippe Gilbert (Belgium / Team Lotto Soudal) and new teammates at the stage 1 start in Castello | 
Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Team Movistar) | 
Jos Van Emden (Netherlands / Team Jumbo - Visma) - Maarten Wynants (Belgium / Team Jumbo - Visma) - Dylan Groenewegen (Netherlands / Team Jumbo - Visma) -Christoph Pfingsten (Germany / Team Jumbo - Visma) - Pascal Eenkhoorn (Netherlands / Team Jumbo - Visma) - Tobias Foss (Norway / Team Jumbo - Visma) - Paul Martens (Germany / Team Jumbo - Visma) | 
John Degenkolb (Germany / Team Lotto Soudal) | 
Wout Poels (Netherlands / Team Bahrain - McLaren) | 
Paul Martens (Germany / Team Jumbo - Visma) - Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium / Team CCC) | 
Hotly contested sprint finish in Vila-Real | 
Dylan Groenewegen (Netherlands / Team Jumbo - Visma) wins Stage 1 ahead of Fabio Jakobsen (Netherlands / Team Deceuninck - Quick Step) | 
Your Stage 1 winner and first race leader, Dylan Groenewegen (Netherlands / Team Jumbo - Visma): “It’s always nice to start the season with a victory. As a sprinter, you feel the pressure to perform right at the beginning of the season. Then it is nice if it works out right away. That really takes off some pressure of me and the team. The team was very strong today. Due to my own fault, I started the sprint a little too far out. In the first race of the season it is always a matter of finding the right feeling and trying to find each other again in the lead out. Eventually I had enough space to sprint and I know I can get far. The first win is in the bag and that is a really nice feeling.” |
Stage 2: Torrent → Cullera, 181 km Full Results and Report
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3rd and 1st yesterday, Alexander Kristoff (Norway / UAE Team Emirates) and Dylan Groenewegen (Netherlands / Team Jumbo - Visma) at the Stage 2 start in Torrent | 
Dylan Groenewegen (Netherlands / Team Jumbo - Visma) feeling the pace or hills early on | 
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Uphill sprint finish in Cullera | 
Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia / UAE Team Emirates), Dylan Teuns (Belgium / Team Bahrain - McLaren) and Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Team Movistar) | 
Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia / UAE Team Emirates) beats Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Team Movistar) | 
Stage 2 finish perspective (photo courtesy: vueltavc.com) |
Stage 3: Orihuela → Torrevieja, 175 km Full Results and Report
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Team Jumbo - Visma controlled the rolling stage to ensure a sprint finish | 
Dylan GROENEWEGEN (NED/JUMBO - VISMA) narrowly beats 2nd Fabio JAKOBSEN (NED/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) and 3rd Matej MOHORIC (SLO/BAHRAIN - MCLAREN) in the sprint finish in Torrevieja | 
Second stage win for Dylan GROENEWEGEN (NED/JUMBO - VISMA): “The team did a fantastic job today. Because of the good communication and the fast reaction of the team after my crash, I could return in the front of the peloton quickly. They brought me in an ideal position for the sprint. I perfectly timed it, after which I could finish it off for my teammates. Because of the crash, I had some gear shifting problems that prevented me from sprinting on my biggest gears. I am very grateful to the team, because without these guys I would not have won here today. My shape is good, I have had a good winter and I am already looking forward to the final day. Then we will have another chance. For now, it is a hundred percent score. Two sprints, two wins: that gives a lot of confidence.” | 
Yesterday's fifth place finisher, Jack Haig (Australia / Team Mitchelton - Scott), moved into the race lead in Volta Valencia today, after finishing in 12th position in the bunch sprint and as the highest placed rider from the general classification, on a day that came down to countback.With no time bonuses awarded on the finish line, stage placings have become crucial, with Haig able to finish ahead of yesterday's stage winner, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), to leap frog the Slovenian into the classification lead. |
Stage 4: Calp → Altea, 156 km Full Results and Report
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The rollout for Stage 4 from Calp | 
Stage 4 scenery | 
Tadej POGAČAR (Slovenia / UAE Team Emirates) attacked halfway up the 5 km climb finishing climb | 
Dan Martin (Ireland /Israel Start-Up Nation) led the chase that almost caught Tadej POGAČAR | 
Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) wins the queen stage mountain finish in 4:22:03 | 
2nd Wouter POELS (NED/BAHRAIN - MCLAREN) + 6s | 
3rd Tao GEOGHEGAN HART (GBR/INEOS) + 6s, 4th Daniel MARTIN (IRL/ISRAEL START - UP NATION) and 5th Jack HAIG (AUS/MITCHELTON - SCOTT) | 
16th Alejandro VALVERDE (ESP/MOVISTAR) + 1:14 | 
Your Stage 4 winner and back in the leader's jersey, Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES): “Today was a really hard day so we decided to work on the front near the end to get me in the perfect position approaching the climb. Jan made a really hard pull on the final climb and when he stopped I accelerated and went full gas until the end. I attacked on the steepest part of the climb as that’s where I was feeling good . It’s really something special and really satisfying after all the work done in the winter.” |
Stage 5: Paterna → Valencia, 98 km Full Results and Report
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Stage 5 sprint finish in Valencia: 1st Fabio JAKOBSEN (NED/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) 2:04:32, 2nd Dylan GROENEWEGEN (NED/JUMBO - VISMA), 3rd John DEGENKOLB (GER/LOTTO SOUDAL) and 4th Alexander KRISTOFF (NOR/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) | 
Having chased and reabsorbed the four men that formed Sunday’s breakaway with the likes of Tim Declercq and James Knox, Deceuninck – Quick-Step remained in charge of the bunch as the flamme rouge came in sight and made sure of bringing Fabio Jakobsen in a prime position. From there, the Dutch Champion – perfectly launched by Davide Ballerini – nudged past all his opponents in an incredible rush towards the line and topped countryman Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma) and John Degenkolb (Lotto-Soudal), delivering the squad’s seventh victory of the season.“We came to this race to win a stage and we are glad we have succeeded here in Valencia. The condition is good and so was the team, who worked hard for me on the three days that came down to a bunch sprint. I am very proud of these guys and very happy to be in this team. This win is an important confidence-boost and we want to continue like this”, concluded Fabio, whose next appointment will be the Volta ao Algarve (19-23 February). (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) | 
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Your Stage 5 winner, Fabio JAKOBSEN (NED/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) | 
Overall Winner, Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES): “ This win means a lot to me, especially after all the hard work we did in the winter to prepare. To start my first race and win is incredible, my form is really good – not as good as when I was in the Vuelta a Espana obviously, but the season is still early. My first big goal of the year will be the UAE Tour at the end of this month before building up towards my first Tour de France.” |
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