CYCLING – TEAM Bahrain Victorious will return to Spain this weekend for a busy block of racing, with three events scheduled.
These include the 46th Vuelta a la Region de Murcia taking place on Friday and Saturday as a two-day stage event, followed by two one-day races, namely the 39th Clasica de Almería on Sunday and the fifth Clasica Jaen Paraíso Interior on Monday.
For Bahrain Victorious, this marks a return to the Vuelta a Murcia, where the team competed in its debut season in 2017. At that time, the race was held as a one-day event, as it has been since 2021.
In 2026, however, organisers returned to the two-stage format, as seen in 2019, when Pello Bilbao won the opening stage and finished third overall while riding for Astana. The Basque rider returns to the race with Bahrain Victorious, and it will be particularly significant as it marks his season debut:
“I’m highly motivated to start the season,” said Bilbao. “For me, it’s a later start than usual, but I hope to begin in good condition. The winter months were hard but very productive in training, and I’ve been consistent. I’m happy with where my form is right now.
“Murcia is an interesting race to begin the season, and this edition will offer us two challenging days. I think it’s a good opportunity for riders like me, with explosive finales that include climbs and descents close to the finish.
“I know the mythical climb of Cresta del Gallo well – I’ve raced there several times – once at the Vuelta a Espana, where I finished second at the summit finish, and also at Vuelta a Murcia. It’s been a long time since I last raced, but I have very good memories. I won a stage here a few years ago with Astana, and hopefully this time I can fight again for victory.”
Vuelta a Murcia will also mark the official debut in Bahrain Victorious colours for Attila Valter, who will take on a supporting role, especially on the climbs, assisting both Bilbao and Matej Mohoric, who will act as road captain and co-leader on stage one.
The stage suits the team’s leaders, featuring an explosive finale with a 1.3km climb at seven per cent, cresting just three kilometres from the finish, followed by a descent to the line.
“That finale will be the decisive moment of the opening day,” explained Bahrain Victorious sports director Gorazd Stangelj.
“Our leaders need to start the climb in the first five positions, and their teammates must execute the lead-out into the final ascent. It’s crucial to be at the front because the descent makes it difficult to chase and could favour a late attack.
“We are fortunate to have a rider like Mohoric, whose descending skills are well known – he could be the one to try a late move.”
Stage two features a hilly profile, including the demanding Alto Collado Bermejo (16km at 5.5pc) early in the stage.
“This climb comes relatively early, so we don’t expect it to be decisive,” Stangelj continued. “The course suits punchy climbers, so we will look to support Mohoric through the hilly sections, with Bilbao as our strongest option for the overall.
“Positioning and timing will be crucial throughout the race. Borgo and Erzen will guide the leaders through the key sections, with Gradek providing protection and contributing to the lead-out when needed. Stockwell, like Valter, will support the leaders over the climbs and help control the pace.
“We have a strong team and excellent leaders to achieve our goals in this race. A stage win would be great, but our priority is the general classification, where we aim for a top-five finish.”
A completely different scenario awaits Bahrain Victorious at the Clasica de Almería, where the sprinters are expected to take centre stage. The race starts in Puebla de Vícar and finishes in Roquetas de Mar, covering approximately 190km on mostly rolling terrain suited to fast men and classics specialists.
Nikolas Maes, making his debut as lead Bahrain Victorious sports director, shared his thoughts. “Our clear objective is to go for victory with Phil Bauhaus in the bunch sprint,” he said. “To achieve that, we will need to adapt to the race situation – controlling the entire final is unrealistic.
“We must avoid allowing a large breakaway to gain too much time early on, especially if it includes strong teams. It will also be important to manage the two climbs in the first part of the race and be attentive if the race splits on the main climb.
“We can rely on the experience of Kamil Gradek in a key domestique role. Then everyone must be fully committed to the lead-out: Bruttomesso, Erzen, Govekar, Capra – joining from the Bahrain Victorious Development Team – and Borgo as our final lead-out rider. I’m confident the boys can execute the lead-out well and deliver Bauhaus in the best possible position to sprint for victory.”
The final Spanish race of this block will be Clasica Jaen Paraíso Interior, where Bahrain Victorious will make its debut.
Now in its fifth edition, the race has stood out since 2022 for its distinctive mix of paved roads and sterrato sectors, attracting riders who perform well in gravel and mountain bike disciplines. The 169km course includes 33.1km of gravel roads, mainly concentrated in the final circuit.
Bahrain Victorious will line up with riders well suited to this demanding terrain, including Bilbao and 2023 gravel world champion Mohoric, Govekar, who won a round of the UCI Gravel World Series in Girona in 2024 and Valter who has a background in mountain biking. The line-up is completed by Borgo, Bruttomesso, and Stockwell.
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