Stage oneBarcelona to Barcelona … 14.8km TTT Stage twoMataró to Barcelona … 182km hilly Stage threeSúria to Arinsal (Andorra) … 158.5km mountains Stage fourAndorra la Vella to Tarragona … 185km hilly Stage fiveMorella to Burriana … 186.5km hilly Stage sixLa Vall d’Uixó to Pico del Buitre … 183.5km mountains Stage sevenUtiel to Oliva … 201km flat Stage eightDénia to Xorret de Catï … 165km mountains Stage nineCartagena to Collado de la Cruz de Caravaca … 184.5km hilly
< Rest day in Valladolid > Stage tenValladolid to Valladolid … 25.8km ITT Stage 11Lerma to Laguna Negra (Vinuesa) … 163.5km flat with uphill finish Stage 12Ólvega to Zaragoza … 151km flat Stage 13Formigal to Col du Tourmalet … 135km mountains Stage 14Sauveterre de Béarn to Larra Belagua … 156.5km mountains Stage 15Pamplona to Lekunberri … 158.5km hilly
< Rest day in Santander > Stage 16Liencres Playa to Bejes … 120.5km flat with uphill finish Stage 17Ribadesella / Ribaseya to Alto de L’Angliru … 124.5km mountains Stage 18Pola de Allande to La Cruz de Linares … 179km mountains Stage 19La Bañeza to Íscar … 177.5km flat Stage 20Manzanares El Real to Guadarrama … 208km hilly Stage 21Hipódromo de Zarzuela to Madrid … 101.5km flat
In the UK, Quest HD is showing highlights coverage of the Vuelta. The times look inconsistent (e.g. 11pm tomorrow) but it is readily available on Freesat and I presume Freeview.
Shame about ITV4 as their coverage is infinitely better but at least we will have Orla Chennouai’s outfits to marvel at.
Hmmmm, not sure about Orla. Much too attention seeking for my taste. I guess she’d say that she just wears what she wants and that to criticise smacks of misogyny but really???
The first day highlights are at 11pm on Saturday on Quest (Freeview Channel 12), then at 7pm on the following days, showing up to Friday on my TV Guide. No doubt this will be a similar pattern for the remainder of the tour.
The Vuelta a España peloton has been put on alert after an Intermarché-Circus-Wanty rider tested positive for Covid-19 just a day before the race gets underway
Belgian sprinter Gerben Thijssen was struck by the pandemic virus on the eve of his third participation at the Vuelta, and though UCI rules no longer state that a positive infection must result in withdrawal from a race, Thijssen and his team opted to send him home; he has been replaced by Simone Petilli, an Italian climber.
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Today’s Stage One team time trial event will begin with team Caja Rural - Seguros RGA starting at 18:55 local Spanish time (17:55 UK time).
The weather is threatening storms and rain before and during the event, and with the relatively short frantically fast 14.8km (9.2 mile) race in team time trial bike formation, there is every possibility of calamities.
Let’s hope every competitor stays upright and safe, and may the best Lidl-Trek team win.
Wet, Wet, Wet!! What a shocking start to the Vuelta - treacherous conditions for a team time trial. Really hoping the Vuelta is not cursed with bad weather - seem to recall that the Giro had it tough for several stages earlier this year. (I hate riding in the rain!!).
A stage that looks likely for a breakaway tussle of GC contestants, and with an interesting 3rd category short but steep tester a few kilometres before the finish:
And Dark, Dark, Dark! Begs the question of why they didn’t start earlier in the day? Here’s the Lantern Rouge race summary video. Looking forward to todays stage, hopefully in better conditions!
All distinctive jerseys are held by DSM-Firmenich after their success yesterday:
Lorenzo Milesi Romain Bardet Sean Flynn Max Poole(jersey on loan from Lorenzo Milesi)
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Adjustments due to the conditions:
Heavy rains are pouring over the Barcelona area.
Today’s Stage Two start proper is pushed a couple of kilometres after km 0, for safety measures.
The GC times will now be taken 9km away from the finish line.
There are 175 riders after Laurens De Plus had to abandon yesterday. “He underwent a range of imaging on an injury sustained to his right hip, which showed a non-displaced fracture”, Ineos Grenadiers report this morning.
RESULT: STAGE TWO VUELTA A ESPAÑA 2023 - MATARÓ > BARCELONA
Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto-Dstny
Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck
Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R Citroën
Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step
Fernando Barceló (Esp) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
Iván Cortina (Esp) Movistar
Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
Lennert Van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto-Dstny
Marijn van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-EasyPost
Kobe Goossens (Bel) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty.
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GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE TWO
Andrea Piccolo (Ita) EF Education-EasyPost in 4.27-23
Javier Romo (Esp) Astana Qazaqstan, at 11s
Iván Cortina (Esp) Movistar, at 13s
Romain Bardet (Fra) DSM-Firmenich
Max Poole (GBr) DSM-Firmenich
Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar
Imanol Erviti (Esp) Movistar
Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar
Augusto Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar
Sean Flynn (GBr) DSM-Firmenich, all at same time
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DNF : Oscar Onley Team DSM - firmenich
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The red jersey, Lorenzo Milesi crashed today, but remounted and finished in 170th place at over 9 minutes down. A new leader, Piccolo will wear the red jersey tomorrow.
There are reports of bad weather, crashes, and tacks deliberately laid on the road causing many punctures…
After the horrors of the first two stages the peloton has arrived at the first mountain stage, and with uphill strugglesome finish.
The GC hopefuls will need to be on form and full alert.
Andrea Piccolo (Ita) EF Education-EasyPost Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto-Dstny Matteo Sobrero (Ita) Team Jayco AlUla Javier Romo (Esp) Astana Qazaqstan Team
Presently cloudy but not raining,
temperature around 22ºc but will drop on the climbs towards the end of stage.
General Classification standings after Stage 1
Romain Bardet
Sean Flynn
Max Poole (jersey on loan from Lorenzo Milesi)
Team DSM - firmenich
Team Classification after stage 3