Rally Cycling’s 2018 season gets underway in Spain and the Middle East
The Tour of Oman, Volta Valenciana and Ruta Del Sol on the menu as men's team goes pro continental
Rally Cycling will start the 2018 season overseas with a program of UCI races in Europe and the Middle East. Nine riders will kick off the teams inaugural UCI Pro Continental campaign in Spain. The season gets underway at the five-stage Volta Valenciana. That will be followed up by two Spanish one-day races before hitting the five-stage Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol in mid-February. The team will also have seven riders at the six-stage Tour of Oman which takes place mid-February.
The plan is for nine riders to travel to Spain but with the UCI reducing team sizes to seven for these races, the squad will swap out riders based on fitness and team goals.
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The 650-km UCI 2.1 Volta Valenciana runs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 4. It features a 38-km opening time trial before settling into four demanding hilly road stages. It was won last year by Nairo Quintana. The 700-km UCI 2.HC Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol runs from Feb. 14 to 18. was won in 2017 by Alejandro Valverde and finishes with a team time trial.
Ben Hermans won the 2017 Tour of Oman in 2017 and Rally will line-up to the race that usually mostly favours the sprinters though features a hilly stage and the green mountain finish which always decides the general classification. The race runs from February 13 to 18.
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Rally is also waiting for confirmation on another Middle East race and as organizers continue to unveil start lists the team’s calendar is expected to round out. Rally is currently gathered in Southern California for a team training camp.
