The early season Spanish racing calendar continues this week with the five-stage Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana. With riders anxious to put some racing miles in their legs ahead of the approaching spring classics, the race is enjoying a fine field with top sprinters and classics-hunters looking to hone their form.

Among preliminary start lists are such heavyweights as Alexandre Vinokourov, making his season debut in Astana colors. The Vuelta a España champion will likely keep a low profile as Vino is betting everything on being prepared for the Tour de France.

Caisse d’Epargne will have a solid squad featuring Alejandro Valverde, continuing his buildup for the Ardennes classics, and Luis Leon Sanchez, fresh off overall victory in the unofficial ranking at the Mallorca Challenge, who will be making a run at overall victory.

Fränk Schleck (CSC) will also be making his season debut as will Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), whom both finished in the third and second overall, respectively, behind Valverde in the ProTour standings.

Michael Boogerd and Thomas Dekker will be representing Rabobank while Alessandro Petacchi and Erik Zabel will be racing together for the first time this season. Oscar Sevilla will be making his debut in Relax-GAM colors as will Enrique Gutierrez for Team LPR. Both riders are anxious to resume racing after being linked to the Operación Puerto investigation.

The five-stage race opens with the 162km Alzira circuit course featuring a Cat. 3 climb in the opening 20km in what’s an otherwise flat stage ideal for Petacchi, fresh off three stage wins and the overall title at the Tour of the Algarve in Portugal. Stage 2 starting and finishing in Calp is a bumpy course along Spain’s spectacular Costa Blanca. The Cat. 1 Coll de Rates in the opening 40km should split the peloton and two more Cat. 3s in the final 60km could give any breakaway some running room. There’s a short steep climb to the finish in Calp that could spring the likes of Valverde if he’s up for a run for victory. Stage 3 is dissected by the Cat. 1 Port de Remolcador at 88km, but it’s a fast long downhill run to the finish line. Any breakaway will need plenty of gas to hold off any determined chasing sprinter teams if the stallions can get over the day’s main obstacle. The deal-breaker for the GC should be the seven-climb, summit finish Stage 4 to Alto de Campello, the traditional hard climb of the Valenciana tour. Some six Cat. 3 climbs along the hilly route west of Valencia will soften up the legs of the would-be contenders with the final 6.4km climb to the Campello summit all but sure to decide the overall winner. Saturday’s finale will be tailored for a sprint finish, with a pancake flat contour over the final 70km. Sometimes blustery winds could favor a breakaway, but don’t count on it with the likes of Petacchi and Zabel in the peloton. Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana, Feb. 27-March 3Stage 1: Alzira-Alzira, 162,7kmStage 2: Calp-Calp, 148.2kmStage 3: Vila Real-Vila Real, 151.8kmStage 4: Albaida to Alto de Campello, 162kmStage 5: Valencia-Valencia, 146.9kmTeamsCSCEuskaltel-EuskadiSaunier Duval-ProdirDiscovery ChannelAstanaBouygues TelecomRabobankMilramLampre-Fondital (all ProTour)Relax-GAMFuerteventura-CanariasKarpin-GaliciaLRG-BoifabaLisboa-BenficaPanaria-NavigareAndalucia-Caja SurNicolas Mateos