Peel cyclist Sam Brand produced a series of solid rides at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana in Spain recently, lining up for Team Novo Nordisk.

The five-day race opened with a 160km undulating stage from Segorbe to Torreblanca, where a 60-strong group contested the finish. Tour de France stage winner Biniam Girmay (Intermarché–Wanty) sprinted to victory ahead of Arne Marit. Brand came home in a small breakaway group of eight riders, crossing the line in 102nd place.

Stage two featured a 17km individual time trial from Carlet to Alginet. Multiple world and Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel powered to victory in 20 minutes 12 seconds, with Aleksandr Vlasov and Mathias Vacek completing the podium.

Brand delivered an impressive effort against the clock, stopping the clock at 23 minutes 22 seconds to claim a creditable 67th place from 121 finishers.

The 158km third stage from Orihuela to San Vicente de Raspeig proved decisive, with a category two climb in the final third blowing the race apart. Andrew August (INEOS) took the win, while Brand again showed resilience to finish 75th – as the second Novo Nordisk rider home – at 8min 38sec behind the stage winner.

The mountainous 172km fourth stage from La Nucia to Teulada Moraira saw Evenepoel attack 12km from home to solo to victory. Brand finished 81st in a fragmented field of 112 riders.

The final 94km stage into Valencia ended in a 41-rider bunch sprint won by Movistar’s Pierna Garcia. Brand was 65th, first Novo Nordisk rider home at 1m 06s down, and concluded the race 92nd overall as Evenepoel sealed the general classification.

Team Novo Nordisk will next target one of cycling’s monuments, Milan–San Remo, in March, the world’s first all-diabetes professional team having secured a wildcard for the 117th edition.