Form ranking: Vuelta a Espana 2019 favourites

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Nairo Quintana is cheered on by the Colombian fans during stage 21(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

The start of the 2019 Vuelta a España is just three days away, and Cyclingnews has taken a look at 10 of the major contenders to gauge their form ahead of the race, which starts in Salinas de Torrevieja in south-east Spain on Saturday, August 24.

He then wasn't able to win the Giro d'Italia, having started as one of the favourites, but he gave it a very good crack, winning the opening time trial and holding the pink leader's jersey for the next five days. He also won the second individual time trial on stage 9, and remained in second place overall until an untimely mechanical problem and subsequent crash on a teammate's borrowed bike on stage 15 effectively put him out of contention for the maglia rosa.

Overview: Despite the presence of more experienced, more proven GC riders on his own team, it would be no surprise to see Carapaz emerge as the true leader of Movistar over the next three weeks. The Ecuadorian proved his abilities back in May, when he won the Giro d'Italia, in what was only his fourth Grand Tour participation. While he's lain low, training in his home province of Carchi, his co-leaders Quintana and Alejandro Valverde have raced the Tour de France.

Coming off the back of third place at the Tour de France in July – and fourth place at last year's Vuelta – the Dutchman is set to ride as a lieutenant de luxe for his less experienced Slovenian teammate. But if Jumbo-Visma win the opening team time trial on Saturday – as they threaten to do – and Kruijswijk finds himself leading the line at the finish, the 32-year-old will find himself in the red leader's jersey as early as the first stage.

Having won the 2014 Giro d'Italia and the 2016 Vuelta a España in Movistar colours, Quintana now appears to have become hamstrung by being part of a team seemingly unsure whether to throw its full support behind him or Mikel Landa at Grand Tours. Quintana has decided to take control of his own destiny and is heading for pastures new – rumoured to be French Pro Continental outfit Arkéa-Samsic. Landa, too, in fact, will leave for Bahrain-Merida at the end of the season. The result is that a younger model – 24 -year-old Enric Mas – will come in from Deceuninck-QuickStep to replace them.

With Landa off, and this year's Giro winner, Richard Carapaz, rumoured to be bound for Team Ineos next season, Quintana might have found himself as top dog again at Movistar if he'd stayed. But his mind is made up, and the upcoming Vuelta will be one of his last appearances in the blue and black of his team. He does, however – on paper – stand a very good chance of taking the win, and giving Movistar a fantastic farewell present. (EB)

Overview: At the Giro d'Italia in May, on the stage-19 summit finish at San Martino di Castrozza, Chaves signalled that he was back at something approaching his best when the Colombian took an emotional stage victory, which was his first since the Giro the previous year. Between the two victories, the 29-year-old had experienced the frustration and helplessness that comes with battling mononucleosis.

To repeat what he did at this year's Giro and win stages at the Vuelta is of course well within the Colombian climber's grasp, but he may also prove capable of showing that the old Chaves is back – really back – and compete for the podium in the coming weeks. Sixth overall at the Tour of Slovenia in June showed consistency off the back of the Giro, and having since had two months away from racing to train and rest further, we could see the Chaves of old firing on all cylinders in Spain. (EB)

López perhaps fell short of expectations at the Giro, where a repeat of his 2018 podium never looked particularly likely. Can he repeat his third place – or better – in Spain? It's hard to say. López certainly enjoys the support of one of the strongest teams at the race, with Jakob Fuglsang, the Izagirre brothers, Luis León Sánchez and Dario Cataldo featuring in a team packed with climbers.

Seventh overall at the Tour was a decent enough result, but it was a subdued performance, with only flashes of the old Urán in the Pyrenees and Alps. However, Urán said on the occasion of EF Education First releasing their Vuelta squad that he has "huge motivation" for this year's race. His best overall finish there is seventh, achieved last season, but he'll have a strong team around him this year, with Tejay van Garderen, Dani Martinez, Hugh Carthy and Sergio Higuita all capable of keeping pace with the best in the mountains.

Overview: Possibly the darkest of horses among our list, Kelderman will be looking to grasp this opportunity to turn an injury-hit season around with both hands. With Tom Dumoulin’s season over thanks to a lingering knee injury sustained at the Giro d’Italia, and the Dutchman heading to pastures new in 2020, the Vuelta might just be Kelderman’s chance to stake a claim as Team Sunweb’s GC leader going forward.