Vuelta a Espana 2016

2016 Vuelta a Espana

2015 Vuelta a Espana l 2014 Vuelta a Espana l 2013 Vuelta a Espana

Quintana takes overall victory, Cort wins second stage in Madrid

It was smooth sailing for Nairo Quintana on the final stage of the 2016 Vuelta a España, and the Colombian finished off his overall victory together with his Movistar teammates in Madrid.

Magnus Cort Nielsen (Orica-BikeExchange) claimed his second stage victory of the race, topping veteren Daniele Bennati (Tinkoff) and double stage winner Gianni Meersman (Etixx-Quickstep) in Madrid.

Quintana ended the race with 1:28 over second placed Chris Froome (Sky), with Esteban Chaves (Orica-BikeExchange) in third at 4:08.

Video Highlights

Stage 21 Brief Results

Race preview

Race organisers revealed the full route of the 2016 Vuelta a Espana, which will include 10 summit finishes - one more than the 2015 edition of the race. The race as a whole will be less mountainous than the previous year, but the majority of the harder stages are scheduled into the second week, which means that we could see a potential overall winner before the final week or the finale stage in Madrid. 

The final Grand Tour of the 2016 season will start with a 29.4km team time trial in Galicia in the north west of Spain, where the terrain is unforgivably undulating. The race then moves into the mountains of the Asturias region, into the Basque Country, a trip to the Pyrenees and into Aubisque.

The climbing during the second week of the race will be the most decisive. After already completing four summit finishes, the peloton will embark on stage 10, the most difficult as it finishes on the Lagos de Covadonga, widely rated as one of Spain’s toughest single climbs. That ascent will be followed by climbs in subsequent stages over Peña Cabarga (a summit finish), Alto del Vivero in Bilbao, and summit finishes in Aubisque and Formigal.

The final week will head through the south east regions Valencia and Alicante. It will include the final two summit finishes on in Mas de la Costa on stage 17 and on Alto de Aitana on stage 20. There is also a decisive 39km time trial on stage 19 that will finish in Calp, before the traditional sprint finish in Madrid.

Fabio Aru (Astana) beat Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) in the 2015 Vuelta a Espana but won't defend his title.

Final general classification for the 2015 Vuelta a Espana

Vuelta a Espana 2016 race map

Vuelta a Espana 2016 stages

Sunday August 21st: stage 2: Ourense - Baiona, 160.8km, Hilly

Monday August 22nd: stage 3: Marín (Pontevedra) - Mirador Ézaro, 176.4km. Hilly, summit finish 1.

Tuesday August 23rd: stage 4: Betanzos - San André de Teixidó, 163.5km. Hilly, summit finish 2.

Wednesday August 24th: stage 5: Viveiro - Lugo, 171.3km.

Thursday August 25th: stage 6: Monforte de Lemos - Luintra, 163.2km.

Friday August 26th: stage 7: Maceda - Puebla de Sanabria, 158.5km

Saturday August 27th: stage 8: Villalpando (Zamora) - La Camperona, 181.5km. Mountainous, summit finish 3.

Sunday August 28th: stage 9: Cistierna - Alto de Naranco, 164.5km. Summit finish 4.

Monday August 29th: stage 10: Lugones - Lagos de Covadonga, 188.7km. Mountainous, summit finish 5.

Tuesday August 30th: Rest Day 1.

Wednesday August 31st: stage 11: Lastres - Peña Cabarga, 168.6km. Summit finish 6.

Thursday September 1st: stage 12: Los Corrales de Buelna - Bilbao, 193.2km.

Friday September 2nd: stage 13: Bilbao - Urdax, 213.4km. Hilly.

Saturday September 3rd: stage 14: Urdax - Aubisque, 196km. Mountainous, summit finish 7

Sunday September 4th: stage 15: Sabiñanigo - Formigal, 118.5km. Mountainous, summit finish 8.

Monday September 5th: stage 16: Alcañiz - Peníscola, 156.4km.

Tuesday September 6th: Rest Day 2.

Wednesday September 7th: stage 17: Castellón - Mas de la Costa, 177.5km. Hilly, summit finish 9.

Thursday September 8th: stage 18: Requena - Gandía, 200.6km.

Friday September 9th: stage 19: Xàbia - Calp, 37km (ITT).

Saturday September 10th: stage 20: Benidorm - Alto de Aitana, 193.2km. Mountainous, summit finish 10.

Sunday September 11th: stage 21: Las Rozas - Madrid, 104.8km

Read more...

• Ten summit finishes for Vuelta a Espana in 2016
• More details of the 2016 Vuelta a Espana opening stages leaked
• Ezaro, Naranco and Camperona climbs to feature in 2016 Vuelta a Espana
• 2016 Vuelta a Espana to feature 'decisive' time trial in Alicante
• Vuelta a Espana to start in Galicia in 2016