WNT Madrid Challenge by la Vuelta 2019

Women's WorldTour heads to Spain

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The Women’s WorldTour heads to Spain for the two-day Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta set to take place on September 14 and 15 in Madrid. The race is held in conjunction with the finish of the men’s Vuelta España and includes an individual time trial and a circuit race.

The women will compete in a new individual time trial, which replaces the pervious team time trial won by Sunweb. This year’s version of the race against the clock is 9.3km that starts and finishes in Boadilla del Monte. The circuit is on the technical side with roughly eight corners and round circuit but it is mainly flat and will suit the most powerful time triallists.

The second and final stage in once again a 100km circuit race in downtown Madrid. The 5.8km T-shaped circuit starts at the Paseo del Prado/Plaza de Cibeles and travels along the Calle Alcala, Grand Via, through Plaza Callao se Sigue, and back onto the Calle Alcala for the final straightaway toward the Paseo del Prado. The women will race 16 laps with a sprint on every other lap; 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14. 

Last year, Giorgia Bronzini won the circuit race before closing-out a nearly two-decade-long career in pro cycling.

Ellen van Dijk won the overall classification at the 2018 Madrid Challenge after her former Sunweb team won the team time trail and she was sixth in the circuit race. The Dutch time trial specialist, who now races for Trek-Segafredo, will not be able to defend her title after she broke her arm and pelvis in a crash at the Boels Ladies Tour.