Each team starts out together…
This is the third time the Vuelta has started in Benidorm, the previous one being in 1987, when Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke beat Sean Kelly in a prologue time trial. This year’s team time trial is about the same length as last year’s equivalent test in Sevilla that was won by HTC, although this one finishes just before sunset rather than beginning just after. The technical course starts at the beach and rises quite quickly during the opening 3.5km before twisting back down towards the sea again. Given their exceptional quality in this kind of test, HTC-Highroad will be heavily tipped to win here.
When it first hosted the start of the Vuelta in 1964, Benidorm was in the early stages of its development. Decades away from becoming one of Europe’s biggest resorts that now boasts the highest number of high-rise buildings per capita in the world, it was a rather insigni~icant coastal village with some building sites aorund its fringes. The 1964 race started with a stage victory for Belgium’s Edouard Sels in the Mediterranean resort and ended in Madrid with a second French winner in a row as Raymond Poulidor succeeded Jacques Anquetil to claim his sole grand tour triumph.
Distance: 13.5km
Highest point: 138m
Category: Team time trial
Javier Guillén says...
"The race starts a week earlier this year, when everyone in Spain will be on the beach. So we decided to take the race to one of the best beaches in the world. The start ramp will actually be right on the sand, which will provide a great spectacle."
Profile
-
Opinion: Indoor cycling was better before I had to log in
If I have to update one more app before I can actually ride my trainer, I’m going to scream -
An adventure race bike, my all-time favourite bib shorts, a home away from home, and some winter-proof jockey wheels: Graham's Gear of the Year
I have had one of my biggest years on the bike, and these are the products that allowed me to rack up all those miles -
What might a transfer to Lidl-Trek look like for Derek Gee, and how would he fit into their leadership puzzle?
Reports link Canadian GC rider to super team after early exit from Israel-Premier Tech -
What can we learn about Shimano's future road groupsets from its latest GRX component launch?
Are we approaching an era of increased compatibility from the Japanese giant?
