2010 stage winners Imanol Erviti and David Lopez are among the riders who should get the nod for the final nine-man squad. Beñat Intxausti will also be expected to be given the chance to make amends for his disappointing Tour de France debut with a strong showing in the Vuelta. The 25-year-old was forced to abandon the Tour on stage 8 after fracturing his right elbow in a fall during the opening week.
Vasil Kiryienka is in contention for his third Grand Tour start of the year, although it remains to be seen how well he has recovered from his exertions earlier in the summer. The Belarus rider was an impressive solo winner of the Giro d’Italia’s penultimate stage at Sestriere and followed that up with overall victory in the Route du Sud in June. Kiryienka would pay for those efforts at the Tour de France, however, and he finished outside the time limit on stage 6.
Marzio Bruseghin, who was left out of Movistar’s Giro d’Italia team following his implication in the Mantova-based doping investigation, is also included in the Vuelta pre-selection.
Movistar has teams competing in the Tour de Pologne, the Vuelta a Burgos and the Eneco Tour over the coming 10 days, after which the final nine-man Vuelta a España line-up will be announced.
Movistar pre-selection for Vuelta a España, August 20-September 11:
Marzio Bruseghin, Imanol Erviti, Chente García Acosta, Beñat Intxausti, Vasil Kiryienka, Ignatas Konovalovas, Pablo Lastras, David López, Ángel Madrazo, Sergio Pardilla, Rubén Plaza and Branislau Samoilau.
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