CyclistSetmana Ciclista Valenciana 2026 preview: Route, favourites, how to watch and start listThe first stage race for the women on European soil is the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, which runs from 12th-15th February 2026. Established in 2017, the race has grown in standing to a UCI 2.Pro event as of 2023 and is often a season debut for Grand Tour contenders and podium hopefuls who skipped the Australian block of racing.Last year it was the earliest opportunity for Demi Vollering to shine with her new FDJ-Suez squad. She jumped at the chance, winning the opening day with an 18km attack and then holding the lead over the following three stages to win by 34sec ahead of Movistars Marlen Reusser.Vollering is back to defend her title in the tenthedition of the race and she faces competition from the likes of World Champion Magdeleine Vallieres and her EF teammate CdrineKerbaol, Feniz-Premier Techs Yara Kastelijn, and the UAE Team ADQ duo of Pauliena Rooijakkers and Dominika Wodarczyk. SD Worx-Protime are not set to take part.Setmana Ciclista Valenciana 2026 key informationSzymon Gruchalski/Getty ImagesDate: 12th-15th February 2026Start: GandiaFinish: ValenciaStages: 4Total distance: 481.5km2025 winner: Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez)Live coverage: RD3 Eventos Deportivos YouTube channel. Non-geo-restricted live coverage of the final two hours.Setmana Ciclista Valenciana 2026 route and stage-by-stage previewAs usual, Valenciana offers a hilly parcours and this year the race kicks off on the coast in Gandia. After a couple of bumpy days in the saddle, the Queen Stage arrives on Valentines Day with Stage 3 offering over 2,770m of elevation and will be decisive in deciding the general classification before the race finishes in Valencia.Stage 1, Thursday 12th February: Gandia Gandia, 121kmGandia has welcomed the peloton in every edition of the race and typically on the opening day. Stage 1 begins with a loop west from there, over a couple of smaller climbs before the Alto de Barx (6km, 5.6%) hits 17km from the finish. From there its downhill to the flamme rouge before a slight incline to the finish.Stage 2, Friday 13th February: Vila-Real Vila-Real, 115.5kmStage 2 begins and ends in Vila-Real, close to the Estadio de la Cermica (the stadium for the Villareal football team). All the climbing action is in the middle of the day so its ripe for a breakaway that could be reeled back in prior to a sprint finish. Did someone say Elisa Balsamo?Stage 3, Saturday 14th February: Agost La Nucia, 128kmWe hope the riders packed their climbing legs. The Queen Stage takes the peloton from just outside Alicante to just outside Benidorm, via the lengthy Port de Tudons (17.6km, 4.7%) and Alto Confrides (5.5km, 7.7%) double whammy for a total elevation gain of 2,776m.Stage 4, Sunday 15th February: Sagunt Valncia, 117kmThe final day gets interesting in the final 30km, the Port de lOronet (5.4km, 4.9%) providing one last chance to shake things up as the 2026 edition finishes in Valencia. Any plans for a sprint finish could potentially be disrupted on those slopes, but it is pretty much a carbon copy of Stage 3 last year, won by Balsamo in a sprint, and Stage 4 in 2023, also won by Balsamo. Related Posts Pro Log: Cycling streaming moves to HBO Max in UK and Ireland; Wiggins is an AI coach now; Remco is red hot Pro cycling winners and losers in January 2026 Pinky promise: Why this could be the season of EF Education-Oatly 9 big predictions for the 2026 pro cycling season Setmana Ciclista Valenciana 2026 favouritesSzymon Gruchalski/Getty ImagesAll eyes will understandably be on Demi Vollering in her first stage race of the year. In 2025, the Dutch rider opened her season with an immediate victory on Stage 1 here and claimed the overall title.Her old teammate Anna van der Breggen finished third in 2025 but SD Worx-Protime will not be bringing a squad this year, instead diverting attention to the upcoming Classics. Last years runner-up Marlen Reusser is also set to miss out following her crash at the UAE Tour. Instead, the team bring Liane Lippert, who raced to fifth overall in 2025, and British star Cat Ferguson, with both riders already winning a one-day race in Spain this season.World Champion Magdeleine Vallieres is here too for EF Education-Oatly alongside CdrineKerbaol, who already have one stage race win in the bag in 2026 thanks to Noemi Regg at the Town Down Under. UAE Team ADQ bring the strong trio of Pauliena Rooijakkers, Dominika Wodarczyk and Mava Squiban, while Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Premier Tech), Antonia Niedermaier and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sjka (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) should also feature in the GC action.Lidl-Treks Elisa Balsamo always thrives here in the sprints and understandably topped the points classification in the last edition, even finishing fourth overall after two stage victories. The Italian will be on the start line again with Stage 2 and 3 looking similar to those she won last year. With seven stages to her name so far, its likely shell tack on a few more and bag a few bonus seconds along the way.Cyclists ratings: Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez): Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Premier Tech), Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto): Liane Lippert (Movistar), CdrineKerbaol (EF Education-Oatly), Pauliena Rooijakkers (UAE Team ADQ), Mie Bjrndal Ottestad (Uno X Mobility): Elise Chabbey (FDJ United-Suez), Dominika Wodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ): Agnieszka Skalniak-Sjka (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto), Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health), Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)How to watch Setmana Ciclista Valenciana 2026Szymon Gruchalski/Getty ImagesViewers worldwide can catch the last two hours of each stage on the RD3 Eventos DeportivosYouTube channel. There in no coverage on Discovery+ or TNT Sports. Broadcast timesAll times GMTStage 1, Thursday 12th FebruaryYouTube: 14:45-16:45Stage 2, Friday 13th FebruaryYouTube: 14:00-16:00Stage 3, Saturday 14th FebruaryYouTube: 11:30-13:30Stage 4, Sunday 15th FebruaryYouTube: 11:50-13:50Setmana Ciclista Valenciana 2026 startlistData powered by FirstCycling.comThe post Setmana Ciclista Valenciana 2026 preview: Route, favourites, how to watch and start list appeared first on Cyclist.