On Your Bike

The Serpis Greenway follows the route of the former Alcoy-Gandia railway through areas of great natural beauty and historical interest.

The 30-kilometre ride takes us from the Mediterranean coast to inland Alicante through the spectacular scenery of el Raco del Duc.

La Carrasqueta is 12 kilometre climb lying just inland from the city of Alicante

The spectacular climb takes us up to a natural balcony at @1020 m.a.s.l. overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the city of Alicante, some 40 kilometres away.

We know that we are by no means the first to say it, but it nevertheless remains true: while it may not be the hardest, nor the steepest, climb in Alicante, the north side of Coll de Rates is most surely the best-known and most-popular climb in the province, attracting cyclists from all over the world throughout the entire year.

Nestled in the mountains above the village of Tàrbena, La Panavista is a self-contained Spanish villa which serves as an excellent option for relaxing and enjoying this spectacular corner of the Valencia Region.

Located in the northernmost extreme of the province of Alicante and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Vall de Ebo (Vall d'Ebo in Valencian) is one of the Region's most popular climbs among amateur and professional cyclists alike. 

CLIMBS IN ALICANTE

On September 29th, 2018, the VIII Marcha Alberto Contador will bring together cyclists from all over the world for a unique Gran Fondo, accompanied by some of the leading figures in Spanish cycling, on a most spectacular, 167km-route that takes in some of the most popular cycling spots in the province of Alicante. The race’s format is that of a cyclosportive, meaning that the participants will be able to enjoy a route that is completely closed off to traffic.



Setting off from Oliva Nova, the participants will ride south down the coast to the town of Denia, from where they will head inland towards Parcent and the popular climb of Coll de Rates (615m). From the top of Rates, the ride continues further inland via Castell de Castells to Quatretondeta, before heading back over the route's highest point at Muro de Tollos (836m) and towards the coast via Vall de la Gallinera and Vall d'Ebo, finishing in Oliva Nova.

Accommodation

Oliva Nova Beach & Golf Resort will house the participants of the VIII Marcha Alberto Contador as the race’s official accommodation provider. Located right on the waterfront, surrounded by olive trees and orange fields between Gandía (Valencia) and Denia (Alicante), Oliva Nova Beach & Golf Resort combines sun, sea and mountains to bring your dream holidays to life.
Its golf course, its tennis and paddle courts, its high performance equestrian centre, its 4 soccer fields and its state-of-the-art gymnasium also make it the ideal destination for athletes, both amateur and professional.

The Alberto Contador Foundation

The Alberto Contador Foundation is a non-profit organisation that bases its actions on two main pillars:

On the one hand, its actions are geared towards promoting the everyday use of bicycles as a mode of transport and locomotion, and thus achieving a general awareness within society that cycling is a source of health and wellbeing.

And on the other hand, it also focuses on the fight against Stroke. The foundation aims to raise the population’s awareness regarding this cerebrovascular accident that increasingly affects our society and, in many cases, could be prevented through healthy habits.

For further details, consult the Marcha Alberto Contador website >> here

Code SP489

April 7, 2018, sees the celebration of a 400 km Brevet, starting from La Carrasqueta and heading out to El Peñón de Ifach in Calpe before tracking back through the mountains of Alicante and the inland regions and out once more towards the coast.

The route takes in Playa de San Juan (Avenida Locutor Vicente Hipólito, 37, Alicante) - Xixona - Benilloba - Benasau - Ares del Bosque - Confrides - Benifato - Guadalest - Callosa d'en Sarriá - Altea la Vella - Calpe - Moraira - Benitatxell - Xàbia - Jesús Pobre - Gata de Gorgos - Lliber - Xaló - Alcalalí - Parcent - Benigembla - Castell de Castells - Facheca - Famorca - Tollos - Beniaia - Alcalá de la Jovada - Vall de Ebó - Pego - L'Atzubia - Vall de Gallinera - Patró - L'Orxa - Beniarrés - Castelló de Rugat - Albaida - Agullent - Ontenient - Bocairent - Villena - Salinas - Monóvar - Novelda - Agost - San VIcente del Raspeig - Playa de San Juan.



Starting at 5 am on Saturday 7th, the maximum time allowed for a 400 km BRM is 27 hours.

Further information and registration: Ciclismo en Alicante

Positive news for Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

The Valencia Region's most important men's professional cycling stage race, La Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana Gran Premi Banc Sabadell, has received a positive report from the UCI (International Cycling Union).

The event, which dates back to 1929, celebrated its 69th edition between January 31 to February 4, 2018, covering as usual much of the Valencian territory over the course of its five stages. With his overall win on GC this year, Movistar rider Alejandro Valverde now holds the record for the most victories in the event's history.

In its report, cycling's governing body praised the event for its organization; the accommodation provided for the teams; the event security; the television coverage and the large numbers of spectators present during each of the stages.

Race director, former professional cyclist Angel Casero, expressed his satisfaction with the assessment as, in his own words, “it is the result of the work carried out during a whole year. This highly-positive report will motivate us to continue working even harder and, without a doubt, it shows that we have grown a lot. I would like to congratulate the entire team that makes La Volta possible, and to thank our main sponsor Banc Sabadell, as well as the public institutions, collaborators and all the spectators who came to see the professional peloton racing on the roads of the Valencia Region”.

Step by step, the organizers of the Valencian race are growing the event and working towards their objective of consolidating a historic competition that will celebrate its 70th edition in 2019. Thanks to this constant progress, it will be easier to move the race up to a higher category. “Logically, it will mean a lot more work, but those of us who involved in the event want to see it happen”, pointed out Angel Casero.

Website: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

The Valencia Tourism Agency has published a guide for cycle tourism covering the whole of the Valencia Region. Written by José Manuel Almerich, the guide covers the Region's 3 provinces (Castellón, Valencia and Alicante) and provides extremely useful information about the Region, its rail trails, use of the regional train network when cycling, Valencia's network of MTB centres and information for long-distance cycling.

Containing a wealth of details about starting and finishing points, estimated journey times, distances, maps, links to detailed routes and tracks, and historical and cultural information, "Cycle Tourism Guide to the Region of Valencia" can be downloaded for free in PDF format and is available in Spanish, Valencian, French, English and German.

The guide can be downloaded via the following link: Cycle Tourism Guide to the Region of Valencia 

What is a "rail trail", or "greenway"?

Greenways in the Valencia Region