The Tour of Spain (Vuelta a España) starts tomorrow Saturday. In Monaco…
As we can see on the general map, despite starting in France and its dependent principalities, most of the tour will happen in the South of Spain, which is rather unusual (I believe?). In fact, there is not a single mile of stage in the Spanish Pyrenees, their foothils, or the Cantabrian Range!
Riders
The coming of Pogatchar (🇸🇮 UAE) leaves little hope about the final victory to other riders (and spectators), unless something bad happens to him. Gall (🇦🇹 Decathlon) will try to get his second 2nd place in GC this year after the Tour of Italy. Will Skjelmose (🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek) and Carapaz (🇪🇨 EF) aim for the podium, after taking part in the Tour of France?
Therefore, most teams will aim for stage victories, and bring the personnel accordingly. Van Aert🇧🇪, Laporte🇫🇷, Brennan🇬🇧 and Kuss🇺🇸 for Visma! M. Pedersen🇩🇰 for Lidl-Trek. Bora brings Roglitch🇸🇮 for his vacation package.
The first 4 stages
Stage 1, Saturday 22: 🇲🇨Monaco🇲🇨
9,4 km, ITT
The distance is barely over the limit for a prologue, and they managed to avoid any sort of climb.
Stage 2, Sunday 23: 🇲🇨Monaco–Manosque🇫🇷
214 km, D+ 3000m
The first of the two French stages proposes a very hilly course, over a distance longer than any of the Tour de France stages this year. The finish may be (I don’t know) the same we often see on the Tour de la Provence in the beginning of the season, where it is usually won by sprinters who can handle punchy courses or strong uphill false-flat finishes.
Stage 3, Monday 24: 🇫🇷 Gruissan–Font Romeu🇫🇷
175 km, D+ 2600m
After a very long transfer along the French Mediterranean coast, this stage arrives already in the Pyrenees. Amusingly, the destination is basically the same as where the Tour de France entered France from Spain in July. Most of the approach is made of unbearable dozens of kilometres of a slightly then strongly uphill false-flat highway road. The final climb is pretty much the same.
Stage 4, Tuesday 25: 🇦🇩Andorra la Vieja–Andorra la Vieja🇦🇩
105 km, D+ 3000m
Familiar climbs with a finish at the bottom. The first half of the course consists of climbing the Envalira pass and coming back, which involves a lot of false-flat both ways. Riders better be ready for a direct, fast start over the uphill false-flat.
Stage 1
The circuit displayed a ton of narrow lanes and curves, yet never looked dangerous. A surprising contrast.
Armirail (🇫🇷 Visma) got a puncture just after, what?, 3 km? anyway, before Eurosport had the time to play the interview with the Visma manager who was explaining how their team was the most meticulous with the hardware. 🤣
Pogatchar (🇸🇮 UAE): 1/1!
After 9 km of race, he is already 30″ ahead of Skjelmose (🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek), 35″ ahead of Carapaz (🇪🇨 EF) and 45″ ahead of Gall (🇦🇹 Decathlon)…
Uno-X now wears the same jersey as Visma 🙄
Great showing by the Brits! Also was impressed with the Decathlon team.