# 2016 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

The 2016 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana was a road cycling stage race that took place in the Valencian Community between 3 and 7 February 2016. The race was rated as a 2.1 event as part of the 2016 UCI Europe Tour. It was the 67th edition of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and the first since 2008; the race was revived by Ángel Casero and his brother Rafael.
The race included five stages. The first of these was a 16.25-kilometre (10.10 mi) individual time trial; this was then followed by four road stages, ending in Valencia. The previous champion, from the 2008 edition, was Rubén Plaza, but his Lampre–Merida team was not among those invited to start the race.
The first stage time trial was won by Wout Poels (Team Sky), with Luis León Sánchez (Astana) second and Poels's teammate Vasil Kiryienka, the world time trial champion third. Poels retained his lead by finishing third on the uphill finish the following day, with Dan Martin (Etixx–Quick-Step) winning the stage. He maintained this the following day, with Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL–Jumbo winning a sprint. Poels extended his lead by winning Stage 4 alone, with his teammate Beñat Intxausti finishing second and moving up to third overall. The final stage was won in a solo break by Stijn Vandenbergh (Etixx–Quick-Step). Poels won the overall classification, with Sánchez second and Intxausti third. Poels also won the points and mountains classification, and Team Sky won the team classification.

## Teams

25 teams were invited to take part in the race. These included eight UCI WorldTeams, eight UCI Professional Continental teams, eight UCI Continental teams and a Spanish national team.
UCI WorldTeams
* Team Katusha
* Movistar Team
* Team Sky
* Etixx–Quick-Step
* Astana
* LottoNL–Jumbo
* IAM Cycling
* Cannondale
UCI Professional Continental teams
* Cofidis
* Roompot–Oranje Peloton
* Bardiani–CSF
* Caja Rural–Seguros RGA
* Wanty–Groupe Gobert
* Gazprom–RusVelo
* CCC–Sprandi–Polkowice
* Southeast–Venezuela
UCI Continental teams
* Burgos BH
* Team Roth
* Kinan Cycling Team
* GM Europa Ovini
* D'Amico–Bottecchia
* Tuşnad Cycling Team
* Euskadi Basque Country–Murias
* Lokosphinx
National teams
* Spain

## Stages

Stage schedule :
| Stage | Date | Route | Distance | Type | Winner |
| 1 | 3 February | Benicàssim–Oropesa del Mar | 16.25 km (10 mi) | Individual time trial | Wout Poels (NED) |
| 2 | 4 February | Castellón de la Plana–Fredes | 163.3 km (101 mi) | Hilly stage | Dan Martin (IRE) |
| 3 | 5 February | Sagunto–Alzira | 173.5 km (108 mi) | Hilly stage | Dylan Groenewegen (NED) |
| 4 | 6 February | Orihuela–Xorret de Catí | 141.3 km (88 mi) | Hilly stage | Wout Poels (NED) |
| 5 | 7 February | Valencia–Valencia | 120.6 km (75 mi) | Hilly stage | Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL) |

### Stage 1

3 February 2016 – Benicàssim–Oropesa del Mar, 16.25 km (10 mi) (ITT)
Result of Stage 1 and general classification :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Wout Poels (NED) | Team Sky | + 22' 34" |
| 2 | Luis León Sánchez (ESP) | Astana | + 15" |
| 3 | Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) | Team Sky | + 21" |
| 4 | Diego Rosa (ITA) | Astana | + 22" |
| 5 | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 26" |
| 6 | Victor Campenaerts (BEL) | LottoNL–Jumbo | + 27" |
| 7 | Bob Jungels (LUX) | Etixx–Quick-Step | + 27" |
| 8 | Leopold König (CZE) | Team Sky | + 29" |
| 9 | Reto Hollenstein (SUI) | IAM Cycling | + 30" |
| 10 | Imanol Erviti (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 30" |

### Stage 2

4 February Castellón de la Plana–Fredes, 163.3 km (101 mi)
Result of Stage 2 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Dan Martin (IRL) | Etixx–Quick-Step | 4h 10' 06" |
| 2 | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 2" |
| 3 | Wout Poels (NED) | Team Sky | + 2" |
| 4 | Beñat Intxausti (ESP) | Team Sky | + 2" |
| 5 | Tom-Jelte Slagter (NED) | Cannondale | + 2" |
| 6 | Jon Izagirre (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 2" |
| 7 | Luis León Sánchez (ESP) | Astana | + 2" |
| 8 | Eduard Prades (ESP) | Caja Rural–Seguros RGA | + 2" |
| 9 | Dayer Quintana (COL) | Movistar Team | + 2" |
| 10 | Davide Formolo (ITA) | Cannondale | + 2" |
General classification after Stage 2 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Wout Poels (NED) | Team Sky | 4h 32' 42" |
| 2 | Luis León Sánchez (ESP) | Astana | + 15" |
| 3 | Diego Rosa (ITA) | Astana | + 22" |
| 4 | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 26" |
| 5 | Bob Jungels (LUX) | Etixx–Quick-Step | + 27" |
| 6 | Javier Moreno (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 32" |
| 7 | Beñat Intxausti (ESP) | Team Sky | + 33" |
| 8 | Jon Izagirre (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 38" |
| 9 | Leopold König (CZE) | Team Sky | + 39" |
| 10 | Stef Clement (NED) | IAM Cycling | + 45" |

### Stage 3

5 February – Sagunto–Alzira, 173.5 km (108 mi)
Result of Stage 3 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Dylan Groenewegen (NED) | LottoNL–Jumbo | 4h 04' 12" |
| 2 | Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) | Cofidis | + 0" |
| 3 | Alexander Porsev (RUS) | Team Katusha | + 0" |
| 4 | Tom Boonen (BEL) | Etixx–Quick-Step | + 0" |
| 5 | Raymond Kreder (NED) | Roompot–Oranje Peloton | + 0" |
| 6 | Jonas van Genechten (BEL) | IAM Cycling | + 0" |
| 7 | Pablo Torres (ESP) | Burgos BH | + 0" |
| 8 | Nicola Ruffoni (ITA) | Bardiani–CSF | + 0" |
| 9 | Filippo Fortin (ITA) | GM Europa Ovini | + 0" |
| 10 | Giorgio Bocchiola (ITA) | D'Amico–Bottecchia | + 0" |
General classification after Stage 3 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Wout Poels (NED) | Team Sky | 8h 36' 54" |
| 2 | Luis León Sánchez (ESP) | Astana | + 15" |
| 3 | Diego Rosa (ITA) | Astana | + 22" |
| 4 | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 26" |
| 5 | Bob Jungels (LUX) | Etixx–Quick-Step | + 27" |
| 6 | Javier Moreno (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 32" |
| 7 | Beñat Intxausti (ESP) | Team Sky | + 33" |
| 8 | Jon Izagirre (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 38" |
| 9 | Leopold König (CZE) | Team Sky | + 39" |
| 10 | Stef Clement (NED) | IAM Cycling | + 45" |

### Stage 4

6 February – Orihuela–Xorret de Catí, 141.3 km (88 mi)
Result of Stage 4 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Wout Poels (NED) | Team Sky | 3h 26' 32" |
| 2 | Beñat Intxausti (ESP) | Team Sky | + 23" |
| 3 | Jon Izagirre (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 23" |
| 4 | Fabio Aru (ITA) | Astana | + 25" |
| 5 | Daniel Navarro (ESP) | Cofidis | + 25" |
| 6 | Luis León Sánchez (ESP) | Astana | + 31" |
| 7 | Davide Formolo (ITA) | Cannondale | + 38" |
| 8 | Sergey Firsanov (RUS) | Gazprom–RusVelo | + 38" |
| 9 | Tom-Jelte Slagter (NED) | Cannondale | + 38" |
| 10 | Javier Moreno (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 38" |
General classification after Stage 4 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Wout Poels (NED) | Team Sky | 12h 03' 26" |
| 2 | Luis León Sánchez (ESP) | Astana | + 46" |
| 3 | Beñat Intxausti (ESP) | Team Sky | + 56" |
| 4 | Jon Izagirre (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 1' 01" |
| 5 | Javier Moreno (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 1' 10" |
| 6 | Fabio Aru (ITA) | Astana | + 1' 26" |
| 7 | Diego Rosa (ITA) | Astana | + 1' 27" |
| 8 | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 1' 31" |
| 9 | Daniel Navarro (ESP) | Cofidis | + 1' 34" |
| 10 | Leopold König (CZE) | Team Sky | + 1' 50" |

### Stage 5

7 February – Valencia–Valencia, 120.6 km (75 mi)
Result of Stage 5 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL) | Etixx–Quick-Step | 2h 12' 25" |
| 2 | Dylan Groenewegen (NED) | LottoNL–Jumbo | + 0" |
| 3 | Raymond Kreder (NED) | Roompot–Oranje Peloton | + 0" |
| 4 | Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) | Cofidis | + 0" |
| 5 | Jonas van Genechten (BEL) | IAM Cycling | + 0" |
| 6 | Alexander Porsev (RUS) | Team Katusha | + 0" |
| 7 | Sonny Colbrelli (ITA) | Bardiani–CSF | + 0" |
| 8 | Matti Breschel (DEN) | Cannondale | + 0" |
| 9 | Nicola Ruffoni (ITA) | Bardiani–CSF | + 0" |
| 10 | Eduard Prades (ESP) | Caja Rural–Seguros RGA | + 0" |
General classification after Stage 5 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Wout Poels (NED) | Team Sky | 14h 15' 51" |
| 2 | Luis León Sánchez (ESP) | Astana | + 46" |
| 3 | Beñat Intxausti (ESP) | Team Sky | + 56" |
| 4 | Jon Izagirre (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 1' 01" |
| 5 | Javier Moreno (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 1' 10" |
| 6 | Fabio Aru (ITA) | Astana | + 1' 26" |
| 7 | Diego Rosa (ITA) | Astana | + 1' 27" |
| 8 | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 1' 31" |
| 9 | Daniel Navarro (ESP) | Cofidis | + 1' 34" |
| 10 | Leopold König (CZE) | Team Sky | + 1' 50" |

## Classification Leadership

Classification leadership by stage :
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Mountains classification | Team classification |
| 1 (ITT) | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Team Sky |
| 2 | Dan Martin | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Dan Martin | Team Sky |
| 3 | Dylan Groenewegen | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Dan Martin | Team Sky |
| 4 | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Team Sky |
| 5 | Stijn Vandenbergh | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Team Sky |
| Final | Final | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Wout Poels | Team Sky |