19th February 2019
Xorret de Catí climb to decide GC outcome of Spanish event (Thu 21st – Sun 24th), which the Movistar Team will tackle after seven-day training in Alicante with its full, 12-woman roster
The women’s roster of the Movistar Team will gather all attention this week, as they try to build on a favourable momentum for the men after victories for Prades (Provence) and Quintana (Tour Colombia) plus Alejandro Valverde’s Vuelta a Murcia GC podium. The squad managed by Sebastián Unzué and Jorge Sanz will be racing from Thursday at the 3rd Setmana Valenciana (UCI 2.2), a four-stage event through Sunday 24th.
The climbs of Barxeta (Cat-3) and Barx (Cat-2), during a hilly opening stage to Gandia on Thursday (126km); and the steep, grueling Xorret de Catí (HC), 4km at nearly 12% average gradient (Saturday 23rd), will be the most demanding points of the Spanish event. At this first multi-day effort of the season, the Telefónica-backed squad will be racing with local rider Alba Teruel, Mavi García, Eider Merino, Lorena Llamas, Lourdes Oyarbide, Roxane Fournier -6th at the Blues’ debut in the Vuelta CV Féminas- and Sheyla Gutiérrez.
The Movistar Team will be coming to the Setmana Valenciana after a seven-day training camp in Calpe, where the foundation for their second season in the UCI Women’s WorldTour calendar has been set with different physical tests, technical meetings and numerous sponsor duties.
