David Valero and Rosa van Doorn win Stage 1 of the Mediterranean Epic 2026

Stage 1 by features a 28 km course with 515 metres of elevation gain, following the layout introduced in 2025.

The start, sets at the Torre del Rey in Oropesa del Mar, provides a spectacular setting for a very balanced time trial, with a precise mix of flat sections, climbs and descents.

In the women’s race, an extremely tight battle unfolded between Dutch rider Rosa van Doorn and Spain’s Natalia Fischer. From the first intermediate splits it was clear that both were riding at almost identical pace, separated by just a few seconds, with any small mistake likely to tip the balance. In the end, the victory went to van Doorn, who crossed the line just 13 seconds ahead of Fischer after more than an hour of racing, a gap that perfectly reflects the parity seen in this opening stage. American rider Hannah Otto completed the podium, already 42 seconds back.

In the men’s race, the outlook was one of maximum uncertainty, with a very deep field of contenders and the expectation of extremely small time gaps. However the David Valero secured the victory, ahead of the defending champion, Belgian rider Wout Alleman, who finished 58 seconds behind. Canada’s Cole Punchard took third place, just 9 seconds behind Alleman but already more than a minute down on the new overall leader.