The final Grand Tour of 2019 is now upon us, with the 74th edition of La Vuelta Ciclista de Espana beginning in Salinas de Torrecieja on Saturday and continuing all the way to the 15th of September!
This is an especially difficult edition of La Vuelta, with nine mountain stages and eight uphill finishes, plus two time-trial stages, including Saturday’s first stage. The stages:
● 24 August ~ Stage 1 (13.4 km Team Time Trial): Salinas de Torrevieja to Torrevieja
● 25 August ~ Stage 2 (199.6 km): Benidorm to Calpe
● 26 August ~ Stage 3 (188.0 km): Ibi. Ciudad del Juguete to Alicante
● 27 August ~ Stage 4 (175.5 km): Cullera to El Puig
● 28 August ~ Stage 5 (170.7 km): L’Eliana to Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre
● 29 August ~ Stage 6 (198.9 km): Mora de Rubielos to Ares del Maestrat
● 30 August ~ Stage 7 (183.2 km): Onda to Mas de la Costa
● 31 August ~ Stage 8 (166.9 km): Valls to Igualada
● 1 September ~ Stage 9 (94.4 km): Andorra la Vella to Cortals d’Encamp
● 2 September ~ Rest day
● 3 September ~ Stage 10 (36.2 km (Time Trial) – Jurancon to Pau
● 4 September ~ Stage 11 (180.0 km): Saint-Palais to Urdax-Dantxarinea
● 5 September ~ Stage 12 (171.4 km): Circuito de Navarra to Bilbao
● 6 September ~ Stage 13 (166.4 km): Bilbao to Los Machucos. Monumento Vaca Pasiega
● 7 September ~ Stage 14 (188.0 km): San Vicente de la Barquer to Oviedo
● 8 September ~ Stage 15 (154.4 km): Tineo to Santuario del Acebo
● 9 September ~ Stage 16 (144.4 km): Pravia to Alto de La Cubilla. Lena
● 10 September ~ Rest day
● 11 September ~ Stage 17 (219.6 km): Aranda de Duero to Guadalajara
● 12 September ~ Stage 18 (177.5 km): Colmenar Viejo to Becerril de la Sierra
● 13 September ~ Stage 19 (165.2 km): Ávila to Toledo
● 14 September ~ Stage 20 (190.4 km): Arenas de San Pedro to Plataforma de Gredos
● 15 September ~ Stage 21 (106.6 km): Fuenlabrada to Madrid
The stages are grouped in difficulty, with many climbing stages this year:
● Flat (5): 4, 14, 17, 19, 21
● Hilly (5): 2, 3, 8, 11, 12
● Mountain (9): 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20
● Time Trial (2): 1, 10
The field includes just six former medal winners:
● Alejandro Valverde (ESP) ~ Winner in 2009
● Nairo Quintana (COL) ~ Winner in 2016
● Fabio Aru (ITA) ~ Winner in 2015
● Esteban Chaves (COL) ~ Third in 2016
● Miguel Angel Lopez (COL) ~ Third in 2018
● Rafal Majka (POL) ~ Third in 2015
There are two riders with 10 or more career stage wins in La Vuelta in the race: Valverde with 13 and sprinter John Degenkolb (GER) with 10.
So who’s the favorite?
The sharpies have their money on Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic, who looked so good going into the Giro d’Italia, but then ended up third; he’s a fearsome time trialer. The betting picks:
● 11/8 ~ Primoz Roglic (SLO)
● 2/1 ~ Miguel Angel Lopez (COL)
● 7/1 ~ Steven Kruijswijk (NED)
● 14/1 ~ Nairo Quintana (COL)
● 14/1 ~ Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
● 18/1 ~ Wout Poels (NED)
Everyone else is 20/1 or above. Valverde and Quintana are on the same Movistar team and Roglic and Kruijswijk are both on the Team Jumbo-Visma, so that will make for some interesting tactical decisions, especially in the early mountain stages.
Home fans will be looking for a Spanish rider to win; the last home winner was Alberto Contador back in 2014, so it’s been a while.
NBCSN and NBC’s Olympic Channel have coverage of La Vuelta with a combination of live and taped broadcasts; the schedule is here. Look for results here.
