Established 1935 Editions 77
Recent Winners Remco Evenepoel (2022); Primož Roglič (2021, 2020)
, Spain’s biggest race, has cultivated a deserved reputation as the steepest of the three Grand Tours. Summit finishes are its MO, particularly the sort of goat tracks that neither the Tour de France nor Giro d’Italia – races with bigger footprints than the Vuelta – would dare go up. Most famously of all, it’s Alto de l’Angliru, the mountain climb instage 3, in the principality of Andorra that many pro cyclists call home, with the last on stage 18, with two ascents of a new climb, La Cruz de Linares, in Asturias. There are two short time trials, one a solo test of stage 10 of 25km and an opening team time trial of 14.6km – the only Grand Tour TTT of the season. Primož Roglič was setting himself up for a third consecutive Vuelta title last year before an unnecessary crash on stage 16 left the door open for Remco Evenepoel. Watch out for Juan Ayuso, the 20-year-old from UAE Team Emirates, who was an excellent third on his debut in 2022. The Spaniard is signed up to an extraordinary contract until 2028, which indicates just how highly thought of he is.
