2022 Vuelta a España Race Preview
The details of this year's 2022 Vuelta a España are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The 2022 Vuelta a España promises to be one of the most compelling grand tours of the season, with a demanding route that winds through some of Spain's most spectacular landscapes and challenging mountain terrain. The race begins in Utrecht in the Netherlands, marking another international start for cycling's third grand tour, before making its way south through Spain and ultimately concluding in Madrid after 21 stages of racing.
The route has been designed to favor climbers and all-rounders, featuring several brutal mountain finishes that will test the legs and resolve of the world's best stage racers. The Sierra Nevada, the Picos de Europa, and several other iconic Spanish climbing venues feature prominently on the road book, ensuring that general classification contenders will face repeated examinations over the three-week duration of the race.
Defending champion Primož Roglič arrives as one of the headline favorites, the Jumbo-Visma leader having demonstrated time and again that the Vuelta suits his strengths particularly well. The Slovenian climber and time trialist will be looking to add to his collection of red jerseys and cement his status as the race's dominant rider of the modern era.
Alongside him in the favorites list sits Remco Evenepoel, the young Belgian prodigy riding for Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, who comes into the race in stunning form following his victory at the Clásica San Sebastián. Evenepoel represents perhaps the most intriguing storyline of the entire race, as he looks to prove himself capable of competing at the very highest level over three weeks.
Miguel Ángel López, Enric Mas, and João Almeida add further depth to what shapes up as an extraordinarily competitive general classification battle.
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