Sports fans will want to make a point of visiting Valencia. Already this year, the city has hosted the America’s Cup and a European Grand Prix. This fall, the Valencia Open 500, the 2010 Moto GP World Championship and the Castelló Masters Costa Azahar, a European PGA tournament will all take place in the region.
From October 30 to November 7, the Agora, a multi-use structure designed by Santiago Calatrava in the City of Arts & Sciences complex, will house the center court for the Valencia Open, with a second court outside. The 262-foot-tall, steel-and-glass structure resembles a huge helmet, albeit in a rich purple hue. Five of the world’s top-ten players have signed up including: Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, Robin Soderling, Mikhail Youzhny and Fernando Verdasco. Others ranked in the world’s top 15 to watch are native son David Ferrer, fellow Valenciano Juan Carlo Ferrer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils. Some 30 players will play in 31 official games with 15 more games in the doubles competition. More than 6,000 are expected to attend. For the tournament, the complex will be transformed into a “Fun Park” with shops, bars, restaurants and live entertainment. Visit www.valenciaopen500.com.
Some 100,000 spectators will be on hand on November 7 for the 2010 MotoGP Cheste, the 18th and final event of the season at the Ricardo Tormo circuit about 15 minutes from Valencia. During the year, the track is often used by Formula One drivers as a test track. Currently leading in the standings are two Spaniards: Jorge Lorenzo of the Yamaha team and Dani Pedrosa of Honda. Two Americans--Nicky Haden (Ducati) and Colin Edwards (Yamaha)--are in fifth and sixth place. Visit www.circuitvalencia.com and www.motogp.com.
Also in October, Valencia will host the Castelló Masters Costa Azahar--one of the tournaments on the PGA’s European tour--at the par-72 Mediterraneo Golf Club in the province of Castellon. From October 21 to 24, golf greats like Paul Casey, Michael Jonzen, Henrik Stenson and Camilo Villegas, as well as Spanish champions like García (who won the first masters here in 2008) along with José María Olazábal, José Manuel Lara and Álvaro Quirós will compete. By this fall, Valencia will have welcomed three new 18-hole golf courses: La Galiana, Las Colinas Golf Country Club and Font del Llop Golf Resort. The region now has 28 eighteen-hole golf courses. Visit www.castellomasters.com and www.ccmediterraneo.com.
For more information about the region of Valencia, visit http://en.comunitatvalenciana.com/home/home-english/493.
