Valenciana Tour Opens with a Bang: Pedersen Crashes Out, Girmay Wins
The Lidl-Trek star, Mads Pedersen, suffered a crash during the first stage of the Volta Comunitat Valenciana in Spain, forcing him to withdraw from the race and be transported to a local hospital for assessment. This setback comes as Pedersen aims to secure his first career monument win this spring, competing against the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar.
In contrast, Biniam Girmay, who transferred to the NSN Cycling team from Intermarché-Wanty, secured his first professional victory since the 2024 Tour de France, winning the bunch sprint in his season debut. The Valenciana tour marks the beginning of a busy period of Spanish racing, leading up to March, with top riders like Remco Evenepoel, Brandon McNulty, and João Almeida in the mix.