A great weekend for a pair of Canadians racing In spain. Luke Valenti of the Cortizo Team, won the debut race of the Spanish Cup, and Sydney Swierenga rode well at the Clásica de Almería, animating the race and ultimately finishing 9th.
Another win for Valenti in Spain
On Sunday, Luke Valenti won the Circuito del Guadiana and pulled on the first leader’s jersey of the Spanish Cycling Cup. The talened climber made his move on the steep Magacela ascent.
The 171-km opener in Don Benito looked set for a sprint, but repeated attacks stretched the field before Valenti surged clear with José Ramón Jiménez (Extremadura Pebetero) on the final ascent.
Luke Valenti on his impressive win in Spain: ‘Trickier than expected’
The Orangeville, Ont. rider, already winner of the Sanroma Memorial, edged the two-up sprint to seal another early-season success. The series continues at the Guerrita Trophy in Alcantarilla, Murcia.
“It was an incredible debut. I know that the Cup is one of the main objectives of the campaign and we will do our best to achieve it, but the victory would not have been possible without the help of my teammates. This victory goes to them,” Valenti said.
Sidney Swierenga delivers big result with new team
Vancouver’s Sidney Swierenga had a great second race with her new team, Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team. The 18-year-old made the break of the day at the Clásica de Almería. She would spend 74km of the 118.8km away. Ultimately, it was Federica Venturelli used her sharp finishing kick to win the Clásica de Almería for UAE Team ADQ.
POV ➡️ The breakaway group that still holds a comfortable lead. pic.twitter.com/rwRdlL8PxT
— Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team (@GreenEDGEcontiW) February 22, 2026
The main climb, Alto del Turillas, split the race before attacks reshaped the front group. Moves from Nina Kessler (NEXETIS), Paul Blasi and Swierenga’s teammate Talia Appleton (Liv AlUla Jayco) animated the tough race. A late solo by Agua Marina Espínola of Team Abadie Magnan was caught near Almería, and then Venturelli proved fastest uphill to the line. Swierenga had a great result, finishing 9th, just six seconds behind the Italian.