The first individual time trial in this year's Vuelta will start and finish in Ciudad Real. The 42.5-kilometre course is mostly flat and the biggest obstacle will be the winds in La Mancha. Winds that already drove Don Quixote crazy. But the power riders won't mind a bit of a breeze. Anything to blow the little climbers off the road before heading into the mountains.
Ciudad Real – or Royal City in English – was a walled city that featured 130 towers to protect the mix of population, made up of Christians, Moors and Jews. Today, only fractures of the wall, once four kilometres long, remain. A Don Quixote museum will keep the tourists entertained, but many opt to quickly hop on the AVE train that stops here and go either to Madrid or down to the Andalucian coast.
-
'I'm a winner, there are always things to improve' – Demi Vollering already looking ahead to 2026 goals
Newly crowned European Champion completes stellar 2025 season despite Tour de France defeat -
'It's a last desperate attempt to get as many points as possible' – Relegation/promotion battle will go down to wire as Uno-X Mobility enter Chrono des Nations
Norwegian team currently only 337 points clear of Cofidis with a few points-scoring opportunities left this week -
Reflections from Il Lombardia – Peak Pogačar? Seixas confirms, Vegni says goodbye and 2026 is already underway
The 2025 season is not yet over but the final monument marked a symbolic end to the season -
Strava CEO confirms plans to float on stock exchange
The move would enable 'more and bigger acquisitions' as the company seeks to continue its growth
