Vuelta Comunidad Valenciana

Young Czech star Matyas Kopecky stretched his legs on the famous climbs of stage two of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana for Team Novo Nordisk today, animating the breakaway and taking the GPM points atop the iconic Coll de Rates.

Like many of the teams competing here in Valenciana, the world’s first all diabetes professional cycling team has spent plenty of time at training camps in the area and know the roads well. Particularly the stunning yet challenging climbs, Coll de Rates and Puerto de Benimantell. That knowledge proving useful throughout the stage.

“Obviously I’m not a climber by any stretch of the imagination,” began Kopecky. “But I really wanted to get out in the breakaway on these roads today and fortunately I made it into the group and from there it was about seeing how long we could stay up the road.”

“It’s our first race of 2025 and the only one real sprinters day coming on Sunday it was important to try and take an opportunity to stretch the legs after yesterday’s TTT and I certainly did that. Knowing the roads helps immensely, you’re aware of what’s comin gin real time and not just something that you’ve studying on a screen.”

Aside from the iconic status of the Coll de Rates as one of cycling’s well known training climbs, it’s also a special place for the teams title sponsor Novo Nordisk as each year many employees come and spend time riding with the TNN riders up the winding slopes to enjoy the stunning views of the Costa Blanca and get taste of what it feels like to test themselves in the playground of the world’s biggest pro riders.

“The collaboration in the group was good and I was feeling strong,” continued Kopecky. “But on the Queen stage you know that it’s an extremely long shot that you’re going all the way, so I wanted to try and take the chance and go over the top of the Coll de Rates at the front and take the GPM.”

“It’s a great feeling to be able to do that in a race, it’s a special place for many cyclists, but for our team and the whole community of people living with diabetes and for Novo Nordisk it has real significance and that was for everyone out there who believes in us.”

Different day same outcome for Team Novo Nordisk at the Volta a la Comunitàt Valenciana as Italian Filippo Ridolfo picked up the gauntlet thrown down yesterday by teammate Matyas Kopecky and went off in search of glory in the breakaway. 

A sort of glory was found in the shape of first over the top of the Alto de Alcublas and some GPM points, further emulating his friend and roommate Kopecky. 

After a difficult 2024 season beset by crashes, injury and a loss of form, Ridolfo has bounced back admirably and found his breakaway legs in style today. 

“Last season was hard, not only physically but also mentally,” said Ridolfo. “I had a really good 2023 and felt like I was starting to find my place in the peloton and then last year when I wasn’t injured I felt like I was going backwards. So getting out front today felt great!”

“There was a lot of attacks popping from the start and it took a while for the break to finally form, Antonio tried before me and his group came back and then the move I was in was given some space and we had a pretty good gap at one point.”

The stunning rolling terrain of the Valencia region lends itself well to this style of racing and today’s third stage including another uphill finish after a series of categorized climbs in the run in.

“I felt good on the flatter roads,” continued Ridolfo. “Then after I won the GPM on Alcublas I started to feel the fatigue on the climbs and it was at the start of El Remedio and when we were caught.”

“It wasn’t a surprise that the big teams wanted us reeled in on the only first category climb of the day and I’m happy with how the first race of the year is going for us – though it would have been nice to have scored more GPM points than Matyas!”

Team Novo Nordisk concluded its first race season of the season in Valencia today with versatile Czech sprinter Matyas Kopecky scoring the teams first top ten of the year after Briton Nathan Smith had animated in the early breakaway at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.

“I was surprised at how good I felt today considering how much I suffered yesterday,” said Kopecky. “I felt strong throughout the stage, surfed the wheels well going into the sprint and I was a little boxed in at the end, but very happy with a top ten to start the year with.”

“We ticked all our boxes this week, breakaways, riding well together as a team and a good result in the only sprint opportunity. Now we need to build on this good start in France next week.”

After beginning with a Team Time Trial in Orihuela the race quickly moved into the mountains of the Costa Blanca for three punchy stages in a row as first Kopecky, then Filippo Ridolfo and finally Smith all took opportunities to stretch their legs in the breakaway. 

“It feels great to be back racing,” said Smith. “The winter felt longer than it actually was because last season finished earlier than expected due to injury, so being back and especially being back and out front in a break is a good feeling.”

“I recovered well from the last stages and with today being only 100km and flat, there was nothing to lose by giving it a go and I enjoyed every minute of it. As Matyas said earlier, we need to build on this now and keep it up in the next races.”

Photo credit: Sprint Cycling Agency