The 2025 cycling season starts and it is done in Burgos Burpellet BH competing on two fronts at the same time, in Spain and in United Arab Emirates. A group of purple runners will return to Tour of Sharjah (January 24-28), five days of racing in which the team has already achieved victory in 2024 through Mario Aparicio. At the same time, another purple block will go to the Valencian Community to compete in three one-day classics: the Clàssica Camp de Morvedre (January 24), the Gran Premio Castellón (January 25) and the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969 (January 26). A group of races where you will see the SIROKO kits and the team’s new BH Ultralight in action for the first timeas well as some of the new signatures.
In the United Arab Emirates, Burgos Burpellet BH will compete for the second consecutive year in Tour of Sharjahcategory 2.2 UCI races with mixed arrivals for sprinters, high-explosive finishes and even a time trial. The race starts on Friday, January 24 from Al Majaz amphitheater in Sharjah for a 133 kilometer stage that ends in the hanging gardens of Kalba. It will be the first time for the climbers, who will be playing for victory in a short summit finish, but with hard slopes. The second day will be more flat, connecting the Maliha wheat farm to University of Al Dhaidwhere a sprint finish is expected after the 127 kilometer journey.
Sunday will be an important day for the general classification, with an 11 kilometer individual time trial. A simple and non-technical effort perfect for specialists and experts in prologues, beginning and ending at the University of Sharjah. The queen stage of the race will take place on Monday, upon arrival at Al Suhub, a hill station located next to Khor Fakkan. A place of unparalleled memory for Mario Aparicio, who achieved his first victory as a professional there a year ago. On the 132 kilometer route from the start at Lake Al Hefaiya in Kalba, the peloton will climb four other scoring climbs, but everything will be decided on this final mountain pass.
The race will end on Tuesday the 28th with a new sprint finish, if the fans can’t stop it. The fifth stage will be 121 kilometers between Al Amriya Port in Dubai and Al Jada Park in Sharjah. Burgos Burpellet BH will attend the Tour of Sharjah with its three runners from Burgos, Mario Aparicio, Ángel Fuentes, who finished ninth in 2024, and Rodrigo Álvarez; the Mongolian Jambaljamts Sainbayar, fifth in the last edition; and New Zealanders George Jackson and Josh Burnett, marking the latter’s debut as a purple. The Cantabrian Jesús Ezquerra will also make his debut at the wheel of the team car, returning to the Emirati event, but now as sporting director.
The Spanish era begins with three classics
Parallel to the Asian competition, the European cycling season will begin on Spanish soil with three consecutive one-day races. On Friday, January 24, the first edition of the Clàssica Camp de Morvedre will be held, a test that will start the UCI calendar, as an alternative to the tour that existed in this same region in the 80s with a starting point of departure and arrival in the Valencian town of Estivella, tour of the Campo de Murviedro (Camp de Morvedre) region.
The first three hours of the race are relatively easy, before facing the two climbs of the Alto del Garbí (9 km at 5%) that the peloton will choose, with the last step 20 kilometers from the finish. This race will mark the debut as purple riders of four cyclists: Merhawi Kudus, Carlos García Pierna, José Luis Faura and Hugo de la Calle. Along with them, three other climbers such as David Delgado, Sergio Chumil and Eric Fagúndez will start.
The second classic of the weekend in Spain is the Gran Premio Castellón – Ruta de la Cerámica, which maintains a similar route to its first edition. There will be 176 kilometers separating Castellón from la Plana and Onda. The Alto de la Serratella will be the longest mountain pass with its 14 kilometers, although the decisive test point will once again be the Collado de Ayodar. This 5 kilometer climb at a 4.5% gradient is topped off 12 kilometers from the finish line, before a quick descent to Onda.
The seven runners from Burgos Burpellet BH will be hoping to join the small peloton that will play for victory in the sprint after being selected on this final climb. Chumil, García Pierna, Faura, Kudus and Fagúndez repeat their presence compared to the previous day. They will be joined by Frenchman Clément Alleno, who is the best in purple in the 2024 edition; and Daniel Cavia from Valladolid, another of the debutants who ascended to professionalism from Team Cortizo.
Finally, on Sunday, January 26, this trio of races will close the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969 – Gran Premi València. The event reverses the city of departure and arrival every year, starting on this occasion from Valencia and ending in La Nucía, unlike in 2024. Therefore, after the previous edition for sprinters, this time recovers it is more mountainous throughout the 184 kilometers of the route.
The start of the race will be flat until reaching the Alto de Barx, although the main hot spot of the day will be the climb up the Coll de Rates, one of the most famous harbors in the area. After the descent, it’s time to face the Alto del Turrón Duro (3 km at 9%) that will be crowned just eight kilometers from the finish line. On the purple side, Fagúndez, Kudus, Chumil and García Pierna will complete the racing triplet, along with Cavia, Alleno and De la Calle.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
