Post-Tour de France blues turn into Vuelta a España anticipation
Simon Yates back to defend his title from Carapaz, Roglič and Superman Lopez
After the unexpected Ecuadorian victory at the Giro d’Italia and the high drama of Julian Alaphilippe and Egan Bernal at the Tour de France, anticipation is building for the 74th Vuelta a España, the final Grand Tour of the season. The Vuelta kicks off in Salinas de Torrevieja in just over three weeks and the preliminary start lists are fat with exciting GC contenders.
Like the Tour de France, the Vuelta starts with a team time trial and has one individual chrono that ends in Pau. The first summit finish comes early on Stage 4. The knee-cracking Lagos de Covadonga is the last of three consecutive summit finishes of Week 2, and there are three more summit finishes in Week 3. It’s a doozy of a course.
After more Giro d’Italia disappointment–his business still unfinished there–Simon Yates is back to defend his title, with Esteban Chaves for support.
Last year’s third place Angel Lopez–last seen smacking a Giro supporter on his way to seventh–will bring a tough Astana team.
Nairo Quintana, the 2016 winner, will be part of a new look Trident alongside Alejandro Valverde and Carapaz.
Jumbo-Visma sends two 2019 Grand Tour podium placers, Primož Roglič and Steven Kruijswijk, with back-from-injury Robert Gesink and George Bennett to do some of the heavy lifting.
Tour de France runner-up Geraint Thomas has only one Vuelta on his palmares, but right now he’s Ineos’s protected rider.
An exciting Grand Tour debutante is 20-year-old Slovenian Tadej Pogačar, who took the 2019 Tour of California title in his first year for UAE-Emirates.
The sprint field is pretty deep too, with Tour de France three-stage winner Caleb Ewan facing Peter Sagan, Fernando Gaviria, Elia Viviani and Sam Bennett.
The 74th Vuelta a España runs from August 25 to September 16.
