Vuelta a España: Stage 1 preview
Stage details and expert guide
Pamplona – Pamplona
Distance: 16.2km
Highest point: 460m
Category: Team time trial
Short but technical
At just 16km, the organisers hope this won’t produce big gaps between the best teams. Starting in the Plaza del Castillo, the course does a circuit of Pamplona before finishing in the city’s bullring. Indeed, the final sections follow the route of bull running that takes place here in July. These final few kilometres through Pamplona’s central streets provide a very technical conclusion to this test. It’s here that the most tightly-drilled teams should be able to make their togetherness count but there should be little more than a minute between the winners and the team bringing up the rear.
Abraham Olano: "I don’t think the time gaps will be significant but it’s a spectacular way to start the race. The first half of the course is quick but the second half is much more technical on the narrow roads made famous by the San Fermín festival."
Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets
After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59
Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Most Popular
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
'I missed out delivering the result the team deserved' - Pedersen gutted with fourth at Milan-San Remo
Lidl-Trek impressed as a team but Dane finished fourth in Via Roma sprint -
Jasper Philipsen: 'I begged Mathieu not to work with Pogačar because I had great legs' in Milan-San Remo
'Oh how I would have loved to have ridden to the finish with Tadej,' admits world champion Van der Poel -
Tour de Normandie: Lauren Stephens takes solo win on stage 3
Van Dijk leads by one second ahead of final stage -
As it happened: Milan-San Remo decided by a sprint photo finish
Jasper Philipsen beats Michael Matthews and Tadej Pogacar at the finish line