Vuelta a Espana 2018 to start with individual time trial

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Next year’s edition of the Vuelta a España, which begins in the southern city of Málaga, is widely expected to break with a nine-year tradition and begin with an individual time trial.

According to local newspaper Diario Sur, the opening time trial will begin in one of the city’s biggest arts centres, the Centre Pompidou, close to the waterfront, and finish in the middle of the city.

If the newspaper report is confirmed, this will be the first time the Vuelta has begun with an individual time trial since 2009, when Fabian Cancellara won in the Spanish Grand Tour’s foreign start in the Netherlands.

Since then, the Vuelta has begun with team time trials, including two years ago, when the race started in the nearby coastal town of Marbella, with the win going to BMC Racing. This is the Vuelta’s third start in Malaga, after 2000, when the opening time trial was won by Alex Zulle, and 2006, with a team time trial going to CSC-Racing, and Carlos Sastre the first race leader.

According to Spanish website Ciclo21, the full route of the 2018 Vuelta, which starts on August 25, will be unveiled on January 13 in the town of Estepona, also in the province of Málaga.