The above overview is a bit simplified with the sheer amount of mountain stages, but five of them are actually categorised as being ‘medium’ and the other eight as ‘mountain’ which will include varying degrees of brutality
1 flat stage
5 medium mountain stages
8 mountain stages
2 individual time-trial stages (the first and last stages)
5 hilly stages (2 with high-altitude finales)
2 rest days
But yes, this is definitely a climbers tour.
I will put up the full start list with team jersey designs when they have racing numbers officially allocated.
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Meanwhile, i’ve had a peak at the eight man Lidl-Trek line up and no fewer than six of them are climbers, to include Giulio Ciccone , ex-Movistar Carlos Verona , and perhaps most notably ex-Grenadier and Giro 2020 winner Tao Geoghegan-Hart
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…and in case anyone is wondering; Tadej Pogačar is not riding this tour.
A very short and intense individual time trial to provide the GC guys and TT specialists a frantically fast dash from the Tour start in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.
Vuelta highlights are available on Quest in the UK - 11pm tonight but will change to 7pm tomorrow. It will probably be the Eurosport version (not a patch on ITV4) but it is free to air unlike Eurosport.
Fabulous coverage of cycling on SBS Australia, public broadcaster I believe. They’ve had the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift also - which ends tomorrow with Alpe de Huez.
(Edit to add: live stages, then complete stage plus short and long summaries daily in their “hub”; awesome)
Thanks for organizing the thread again Debs, looking forward to this one!
Superb win for Brandon McNulty and will be interesting to see if he rises to the challenge of holding the Red Jersey for UAE.
A couple of young debut riders with astonishing results; 22 year old Mathias Vacek Lidl-Trek taking 2nd place was unexpected, an excellent time trialist but he may struggle with this hilly tour later.
Plus the youngest competitor in this tour and debut rider; 20 year old Joshua Tarling Ineos Grenadiers, arriving in 6th place just 8 seconds off the pace. A lot of muscle in the young lad at 78 kg and an advantage for a short fast time trail.
Interesting results, and probably to become very rearranged after the next couple of stages.
A very hilly start on today’s stage should produce a breakaway but the stage is a long one and the GC hopefuls will be serious about keeping some control to the outcome.
Brandon McNulty UAE Team Emirates Wout van Aert Visma-Lease a Bike (3rd - jersey on loan from McNulty) Mathias Vacek Lidl-Trek Stefan Küng Groupama-FDJ
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Weather : dry presently 21ºc rising later to 26ºc
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Points to be gained in the Points Classification today.
Prime sprint at Alcobaça at 140 km = 20,17,15,13,10
Points on the finish line in Ourém = 50,30,20,18,16,14,12,10,8,7,6,5,4,3,2
Joshua Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) age 20
Born in Aberaeron, Wales
height: 1.94 m / weight 79 kg
Debut rider / time trial specialist
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Eldest rider in this tour:
Luis Ángel Maté (Euskaltel - Euskadi) age 40
Born in Marbella
height: 1.78 m / weight 68 kg
Vuelta = 12 / Giro = 6
GC rider still looking for a 1st Grand Tour stage win.
Stage two’s long breakaway duo; Ibon Ruiz (Equipo Kern Pharma) on his debut grand tour, and the eldest rider in this tour Luis Angel Maté (Euskaltel-Euskadi).
The pair stayed a couple of minutes ahead for most of the stage before getting caught by the peloton before the final climb. Those two will have tired legs tomorrow.
The third and final day in Portugal with very hilly terrain. If the sprinters don’t lag too far behind going over the 2nd category Alto de Teixeira then they should bring this stage to another bunch sprint finish.
Wout van Aert Visma-Lease a Bike Kaden Groves Alpecin-Deceuninck Mathias Vacek Lidl-Trek Stefan Küng Groupama-FDJ
Today’s special bib-number wearers: Luis Angel Maté Euskaltel-Euskadi (Stage 2 combatively award) UAE Team Emirates (Leading the best Team Classification)
The very same two as yesterday! Ibon Ruiz (Equipo Kern Pharma) and Luis Angel Maté (Euskaltel-Euskadi) both at it again on the breakaway, eventually they got caught (again) but not before the oldest competitor of the tour won the Alto de Teixeira KOM points to take the ‘Mountains Classification’ lead and will wear the blue polka dot jersey tomorrow.
VUELTA A ESPAÑA 2024 
, ex-Movistar Carlos Verona 
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE ONE
POINTS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE ONE
YOUTH CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE ONE
TEAMS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE ONE
Lidl-Trek taking 2nd place was unexpected, an excellent time trialist but he may struggle with this hilly tour later.
Visma-Lease a Bike (3rd - jersey on loan from McNulty)
Stefan Küng 
Groupama-FDJ
Team Visma Lease a Bike (crash injury)
Alpecin-Deceuninck
Luis Angel Maté 
Weather dry / 30ºc at race start.
