The Vuelta a España is upon us. The third Grand Tour of the year, it often struggles for the limelight but not this time. The presence of new five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar guarantees a certain amount of attention, despite the fact that it also means the race might be more predictable than it sometimes can be.
Whether the Slovenian romps to victory or not, there is plenty more to look out for in what could be a thrilling three weeks. From the Monaco time trial, to the incessantly hilly-to-mountainous parcours that should keep the entire top-10 on a vigorous simmer, there is unlikely to be much shortage of action.
Pogačar may have enjoyed the most column inches so far, but it’s a stacked field featuring some of the biggest stars of the sport. Read on for more, and enjoy the next three weeks.
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1. Tadej Pogačar (who else?)
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For some time the smart money has been on Tadej Pogačar riding the Vuelta this year, for the first time since 2019. That was only confirmed a few weeks ago, in the wake of his historic fifth Tour de France win.
Having the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider on board will no doubt offer a huge visibility boost for the race, which often struggles against its Italian and French Grand Tour siblings. The presence of the all-conquering Slovenian could be a mixed blessing for fans though, who are often left both awed by his talent and bored by the predictability of his wins.
If he wins here it would complete the full Grand Tour set for him – just as Jonas Vingegaard’s Giro d’Italia win earlier this year did for the Dane. It is an ‘if’ though. Despite appearances to the contrary, Pogačar is only human. He’ll be carrying fatigue from the Tour and remains susceptible to illness, bad days and, unfortunately, crashes.
2. The ‘other’ GC battle
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While much of the talk this coming three weeks is likely to be centred around Pogačar, let’s not forget that there is a host of talent lining up behind him. The secondary GC battle, if we can presume to call it that, could be one of the most exciting facets of the race.
Four-time winner Primož Roglič will be present, riding for Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, but he is still recovering from being hit by a car in training and is unlikely to be at his best.
Likely to be lining up to take on Pogačar alongside Roglič (or even above him) will be Oscar Onley (Netcompany-Ineos), Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM). Brit Onley in particular will be raring to make up for his Tour de France non-selection due to injury, while Tour King of the Mountains winner Carapaz, and Gall who was second on GC at the Giro d’Italia, will both be looking for podium places at least. It should be a good battle, even if it takes place in the wake of Pogačar.
3. Monaco and the Gran Partida
You may be no big fan of motorsports, but there’s a good chance you’ll be aware of the Monaco Grand Prix – the most iconic event on the Formula One calendar. The principality’s streets echo annually to the roar of V6 engines as they circle the city centre course.
The Vuelta’s first stage, a 9.4km time trial, will see the riders racing on parts of the famous F1 circuit, including the Mirabeau hairpin overlooking the marina. Ultra-technical and replete with hard turns, the stage is likely to reward skill as much as raw power and should be a treat to watch.
The Vuelta does not enter the host country until stage five. This Gran Partida is a bit different though; after a second stage from Monaco to Manosque in France, the riders make a sizeable transfer across to western France for stage three, from Gruissan to Font Romeo in the Pyrenees. There is then an Andorran stage before the riders finally enter Spain on stage five.
4. The Pandera and more mountain madness
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The Sierra de la Pandera, to give it its full name, is a climbs that pops up now and then in the Vuelta a España. Notable for its consistently steep slopes, riders including Rafał Majka and, last time out in 2022 Richard Carapaz, have won there.
This year it’s the finishing climb for stage 14, and dwarves the rest of the smaller lumps along the 154km parcours. Topping out at 1,820m, its 11.8km, 7.2% stats only tell half the story, for much of its distance is well into double figures in terms of gradient. It should prove a fascinating arena, but it is only one of six mountain-top finishes.
Perhaps the most brutal of these will be the Collada di Aguacil on the penultimate stage. This HC climb measures 8.4km at an eye-watering 9.4% – it’s the last climb of the race and comes on a day featuring four other cat-one climbs. Race organisers are clearly hoping that it will host the denouement of the GC. Tadej Pogačar may have other ideas.
5. Wout van Aert’s ‘unfinished business’
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The popular Paris-Roubaix champion is clearly keen to make up for lost time, following the crash that ultimately saw him retire from the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in June.
He finally began racing again at the 2.Pro Tour of Denmark, which he won at a canter, ticking off three out of five stage wins and the points classification along the way.
However, he will be looking forward to testing himself on the big stage, and his fans will be eager to see him do so. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider described the race as “unfinished business” – last time he rode he crashed out on stage 16 after three stage wins. He has even said that he could try for an early spell in the leader’s red jersey, although the final GC is unlikely to be on his radar.
