Ribera Cyclotourism March 'Desafío Tierras del Júcar' 2026

A marcha cicloturista is not a race. It is a mass-participation road ride with a marked route, feed stations and a broom wagon, where everyone rides at their own pace and — this is the part visitors underestimate — the roads stay open to normal traffic. This one sits on the official road-cyclotourism calendar of the Valencian Community Cycling Federation (FCCV), so it runs under federation rules.

What you need to take part

Events on the federation calendar normally require an FCCV licence or a day licence bought at registration, and a helmet is a legal requirement on interurban roads in Spain regardless. The route, the distance, the climbing, the exact start time and the entry fee are not in our listing — the organisers, CC Carlos Greus, publish them with the federation. The date falls on a Sunday, which is the worst day of the week for intercity buses here, so factor that in if you are not driving.

Reaching Llombai

Llombai is inland in the Ribera, in the Vall dels Alcalans, under an hour from Valencia by car. It has no railway station and the intercity bus is infrequent, worse at weekends. Almost everyone drives with the bike in the boot and parks in the village. If you are relying on public transport in this part of the province, read how to reach the villages without a car first. Llombai is a small farming town, not a monument stop — for those, see the prettiest villages near Valencia.

Riding here in September

Inland Valencia still passes 30 °C at midday in mid-September, which is why these rides start early. September is also when the autumn storms begin on this coast, and they arrive fast — check the forecast the night before rather than the week before. Carry two bottles, electrolytes, a spare tube and sunscreen; the orange groves give no shade at all. The Júcar reaches the sea half an hour away at Cullera if you want a swim afterwards. See also day trips from Valencia and the weather month by month.