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Vuelta de Espana cycle race promises fascinating and thrilling 3 weeks of cycling

Xinhua, August 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Vuelta de Espana (Tour of Spain) cycle race starts in the southern Spanish town of Puerto Banus on Saturday in a race packed with star riders.

This year's edition of the three week race, which is behind only the Tour de France and the Giro de Italia in importance in the annual calendar, features a roster of riders which looks certain to guarantee thrills and interest for cycling fans from start to finish on a course which offers little or no respite for competitors.

What makes this year's Vuelta special is that it features Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde: the three riders who occupied the podium in last month's Tour and there will be massive interest to see if Quintana, will be able to overtake Froome on a course perhaps more suited to his explosive climbing ability.

Quintana and Valverde will have the support of the powerful Movistar team, which has the advantage of racing on home soil, although it will be interesting to see if the riders who were so strong in the Tour de France will pay for their efforts in another demanding race which comes so soon afterwards.

The same could be said of Joaquin Rodriguez, a punchy rider with the Katusha team, who limited himself to hunting stage wins in France, while the presence of former winner and the 2014 Tour Champion Vicenzo Nibali only serves to give the race another candidate for the podium.

Nibali struggled in the first half of the Tour, but rode into form in the closing week and may consider himself to be in better shape overall that Quintana or Froome.

Likewise Teejay Van Garderen is also among the favorites: the American was performing well in France before illness forced him out and although that ruined his Tour chances, it should mean he is fresher than the other favorites.

Meanwhile expect the Colombia team, who have been given a wildcard entry to provide attacks in the mountain stages and sprinter John Degenkolb (team Giant-Alpecin) to be the man to beat in the sprint finishes in a race which ranges from the hot plains of Andalusia to the chilly heights of the Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa mountains before finishing in Madrid on September 13. Endit