“I think it will be almost everyone against Jumbo-Visma" - AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola plans to watch La Vuelta between training sessions
Cycling
Aside from trying his best to ensure another season of Premier League football for AFC Bournemouth, 41-year-old Basque, Andoni Iraola is a keen cycling fan, revealing how he plans to stay up to date with the Vuelta a Espana during training.
“I will try. Every afternoon, [I will] probably have it on the TV in the background. I will be aware of what’s happening," Iraola told TNT Sports. “I think it will be almost everyone against Jumbo-Visma, with Primoz Roglic, with Jonas Vingegaard. I think almost everyone will race against them. They have a very strong team and I expect something like this.”
Coming from the Basque Country, Iraola grew up with a passion for cycling that many of his compatriots share. “Cycling is something big in the Basque Country," he explains. "Other people used to go to the Pyrenees to see the mountain stages, and sometimes we are lucky that the Tour starts in some of our cities, like this year."
Iraola even sees that comparisons can be drawn between top-level football and Grand Tour cycling. “It looks like an individual sport, but I think it’s very tactical," he concludes. "Your team is very important and I really love it. I love it from the tactical side. I think it’s a very hard sport.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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"Cycling is big in the Basque country!" 🚴♂️ 🍒 Joe Cole and Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola discuss all things cycling ahead of La Vuelta a Espana 🇪🇸
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