September 9, Stage 17: Burgos - Burgos (ITT) 39 km
The Vuelta's only individual time trial will play its part in the fight for the red jersey
The Vuelta’s only individual time trial will favour those who specialise in riding against the clock but also the strongest riders near the top of the leaderboard.
Configured in a figure of eight, it’s essentially flat, although there’s a steady rise from the start up to the Castillo. From there it’ll be a case of who can turn the biggest gear the fastest, with contenders for the upcoming World Time Trial Championship sure to be favoured, assuming they haven’t slunk away given the lack of favourable terrain up to this point.
There shouldn’t be much between the red jersey contenders but there’s the chance one of them might suffer a disastrous day as Joaquim Rodríguez did at Peñafiel in 2010.
Javier Guillén (race director):
"In recent years the courses have had more climbing and have suited riders like Rodríguez, Valverde and Contador but we have changed the format for this one. The profile is basically flat so that the rouleurs have a chance to shine but we’ve added some spice with the early climb up to the Castillo."
The text in this preview originally appeared in the September edition of Procycling magazine.
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
-
Women's WorldTour – The definitive guide for 2024
Everything you need to know about the professional racing series teams, points, races and standings -
USA Cycling lifts team rule, allows 27 former NCL riders in Pro Road Nationals
Governing body gives a lifeline to male riders left without teams following collapse of National Cycling League -
Lotte Kopecky to skip Tour de France Femmes after Olympics, SD Worx confirm
World Champion will finish Omnium one day before start in Rotterdam