ANALYSIS | Vuelta a Espana 2024: 3 Winners and 3 Losers

The 2024 edition of the Vuelta a Espana concluded yesterday, marking the end of this year’s Grand Tour season. In a thrilling conclusion, Primoz Roglic claimed his fourth Vuelta title, cementing Slovenia's dominance in the Grand Tours this year after Tadej Pogačar's victories in both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. Roglic, leading Red Bull - BORA - Hansgrohe, produced a commanding performance throughout the third week of the race, to secure his first Grand Tour victory for his new team. However, it was Switzerland’s Stefan Küng who stole the show in Madrid, securing his first-ever Grand Tour stage win by beating Roglič by over 30 seconds in the final day time trial.

Roglic’s triumph puts him in the history books alongside Roberto Heras as the only men to have won four Vuelta titles. Heras, a Spanish cycling legend, dominated the Vuelta in the early 2000s, with victories in 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2005, setting a standard that only Roglic has matched nearly two decades later. Heras was known for his climbing prowess and consistency across all three weeks of racing, traits that Roglic has mirrored in his own career.

While Roglic’s victory is the headline story, the 2024 Vuelta was filled with other standout performances and disappointments. Let’s take a closer look at three winners and three losers from this year's race.

Ben O’Connor’s 2024 Vuelta was nothing short of spectacular. The Australian rider held the red jersey from stage 16 through to stage 19 after a remarkable breakaway victory on stage 5. Although he couldn’t hold onto the overall victory, O’Connor’s performance was a testament to his talent and resilience. Holding off riders like Enric Mas and Richard Carapaz to secure his first Grand Tour podium was no small feat.

O’Connor’s career has been one of steady progression, with notable performances including a fourth-place finish in the 2021 Tour de France and another fourth place at the 2024 Giro d’Italia. Finally breaking through to the podium in a Grand Tour is a milestone moment for the 28-year-old. His determination, particularly in the brutal third week of the race, where he was dropped on several climbs but fought his way back, was a highlight of this year’s Vuelta.

Jay Vine’s journey to the 2024 Vuelta was marked by a significant setback. Less than six months ago, the Australian rider suffered neck injuries in a horrific crash during the Tour of the Basque Country, a crash that also involved big names like Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel. Just being at the start line in Barcelona was a victory for Vine. But his Vuelta campaign went far beyond mere participation.

When Wout van Aert crashed out in the third week, Vine seized the opportunity, inheriting the mountains jersey. Despite challenges from his own teammate Marc Soler, Vine held firm and secured his first-ever Grand Tour jersey. This achievement is particularly poignant given his recent struggles, and it marks a significant milestone in his career.

Mattias Skjelmose wrapped up an excellent Vuelta a España with a strong 8th place in the final time trial. The Lidl-Trek rider had a challenging start, losing ground in the standings at the end of the first block of racing. However, he made very few mistakes after that, gradually moving up the leaderboard to finish in the top five in Madrid.

Skjelmose’s performance in the final week was particularly impressive, as he showcased his potential as a future Grand Tour contender. As a bonus, the Danish rider also took home the white jersey as the best young rider in the race, beating strong competition from Florian Lipowitz of BORA-Hansgrohe and Carlos Rodríguez of INEOS Grenadiers. At just 23 years old, Skjelmose has announced himself as a rider to watch in the coming years.

João Almeida entered the 2024 Vuelta a España with high expectations. After a strong start in the first week, it seemed that the Portuguese rider might be the closest challenger to Roglic for the overall victory. UAE Team Emirates were hoping for a clean sweep of Grand Tour victories in 2024, with Pogačar having already won the Giro and the Tour. But Almeida’s Vuelta campaign took a dramatic downturn on stage 8.

Surprisingly, Almeida was dropped emphatically on that stage and lost a significant amount of time. The following day, news broke that Almeida had tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to abandon the race. It was a bitter blow for the young rider, who had shown such promise early on. Whether he will finish the season remains uncertain, but his focus may now shift to the World Championships in Zurich or the Italian classics, including Il Lombardia, where he could still salvage something from this year.

At the conclusion of the 2023 Vuelta, Sepp Kuss was crowned the overall winner, joined on the podium by his Jumbo-Visma teammates Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard, completing a Grand Tour clean sweep for the team. Fast forward to 2024, now under the name Visma Lease a Bike, and the team’s fortunes have taken a significant downturn.

For much of the race, it looked as if Wout van Aert might provide some solace for the team, leading both the points and mountains classifications and claiming three stage wins. However, disaster struck on stage 16 when van Aert crashed while descending, forcing him to abandon the race and ending Visma’s hopes of taking home any jerseys. Defending champion Sepp Kuss struggled to find his form, finishing 14th overall, more than 20 minutes behind the winner Roglic, who had left the team in the winter. This underperformance adds salt to the wound for a team that was at the pinnacle of the sport just one year ago.

INEOS Grenadiers, once the dominant force in professional cycling, had a Vuelta to forget. The team failed to win a single stage, marking their second consecutive Grand Tour without a stage victory after a similarly dismal performance at the 2024 Tour de France. Carlos Rodríguez, the team’s highest-placed rider, could only manage 10th overall, a far cry from the team’s glory days when they commanded the peloton with an iron fist.

This decline in performance is worrying for a team that has long prided itself on its depth and ability to compete at the highest level. The 2024 Vuelta may serve as a wake-up call for INEOS Grenadiers, who will need to reassess their strategy and personnel if they hope to return to their former dominance.

The 2024 Vuelta a España will be remembered for Primoz Roglic’s historic fourth victory, but also for the remarkable stories of triumph and heartbreak that unfolded throughout the race. Ben O’Connor’s breakthrough, Jay Vine’s inspiring comeback, and Mattias Skjelmose’s emergence as a future star were among the highlights. On the flip side, João Almeida’s misfortune, Visma Lease a Bike’s underperformance, and INEOS Grenadiers’ ongoing struggles were sobering reminders of the unforgiving nature of Grand Tour racing. As the dust settles on this year’s Vuelta, the cycling world will now turn its attention to the final races of the season, with the hope that 2025 will bring new challenges, rivalries, and unforgettable moments.