[Leica] IMG: Vuelta de la Comunidad Valenciana 2026

[Nathan Wajsman]

While northern Europe is in the grip of winter, here in southern Spain spring is rapidly approaching. Since early January, I have encountered the professional cycling teams training on the mountain roads around here, and this week the first proper race of the season is on, a 5-day Vuelta de la Comunidad Valenciana. Yesterday was the third stage, starting in Orihuela south of Alicante, going through the city and then finishing in the mountains above Alicante—my own playground. Yesterday, I left work early and drove to the highest point of the stage, Puerto de Tibi, where the riders would arrive with more than 120 km in their legs and after a 5 km climb at 7% average grade.

I like to photograph cycling, because in no other sport can you get so close to the athletes. And I always try to find a spot at the end of a long climb. At that point the peleton is broken into several smaller groups, and the speed is slower, so it is easier to focus. The Vuelta de la Comunidad Valenciana is not a race that attracts the very top riders like Vingegaard or Pogacar but this year’s edition does have the third-best cyclist in the world, Remco Evenpoel. Going into today’s 4th (and penultimate) stage, he is in 6th place, just 9 seconds behind the leader Biniam Girmay from Eritrea, the only African cyclist on the pro circuit.

A small gallery is here:

https://www.greatpix.eu/Vuelta-de-la-Comunidad-Valenciana-2026

As always, comments and critique are welcome and appreciated.

Nathan

Nathan Wajsman
photo at frozenlight.eu

http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
http://www.greatpix.eu
http://www.frozenlight.eu
@nwajsman.bsky.social

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