How good was the 2024 Vuelta a España?
Record heat, a brutally hard course, and animated racing made it interesting, but was it good?
This rough-and-tumble Vuelta had a lot going for it.
Primož Roglič won a record-tying fourth crown that seemed all but inevitable even with a banged up back and a late-race bad tummy. With the other three of the “Big 4” sitting on the sidelines, who was going to beat him anyway?
Ben O’Connor at least made it interesting after pulling a “Kuss” on the exact same stage that Sepp Kuss sprung clear last year to win. The Australian finally buckled to Roglič’s incessant tapping in stage 19, but he didn’t fully crack, and hung on for a well-deserved first career podium.
Behind those two, this Vuelta was a bit of a mixed bag.
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All but inevitable is a bit strong, there were definitely rumbles of fallibility. Mas and carapaz looked strong and gave it a crack. Primoz’s bad days just never seem to be all that bad. Incredibly consistent rider, maybe second only to vingegaard in that dimension.
You’d probably have to say he’s the best ever GC rider to not win the TDF at this point. And doesn’t look likely to with two untouchable guys ahead of him as he heads towards retirement.
Yeah, his win was inevitable in 2022 until he careened into Fred Wright. Nothing is certain in cycling.
God dammit fred. How could you so irresponsibly cycle straight in a sprint. #neverForget