Preview: Vuelta a Espana 2022. Final Grand Tour prepares for fireworks over brutal route

The third and final Grand Tour of the season: the Vuelta a Espana! On the August 19th the Spanish Grand Tour will have it's start in Utrecht, Netherlands, and later go through most of the Spanish territory with it's infamous mountainous and hilly stages, aswell as countless scenic days which promise to deliver spectacle on all aspects.

The profiles of the 2022 editions have been published by the race organizers, containing a route that starts off with three days in the Netherlands which will see team time-trial and two flat stages. Back in Spain the race will go through the Basque Country and Asturias until the second rest day, and will later on travel through southern Spain and the Sierra Nevada, before travelling inland towards the central mountain range and the grand finale in the country's capital of Madrid.

The final startlist includes the likes of: Primoz Roglic, Rohan Dennis, Ben O'Connor, Miguel Ángel López, Vincenzo Nibali, Alexey Lutsenko, Mikel Landa, Gino Mäder, Santiago Buitrago, Sam Bennett, Jai Hindley, Sergio Higuita, Bryan Coquard, Esteban Chaves, Thibaut Pinot, Richard Carapaz, Dylan van Baarle, Ethan Hayter, Pavel Sivakov, Louis Meintjes, Chris Froome, Michael Woods, Alejandro Valverde, Enric Mas, Julian Alaphilippe, Remco Evenepoel, Simon Yates, Kaden Groves, Thymen Arensman, Mads Pedersen, João Almeida, Juan Ayuso, Pascal Ackermann and Tim Merlier.

Stage 6 will be the first summit finish where the GC riders will be in true action. The attacks and damage are to come on the ascent to Pico Jano. A climb of two halves, but definitely not an easy one. There will be a false-flat run-up to the ascent, and it’s first 7 kilometers average almost 8%, definitely enough to attack the race. There will be a small flat restbite before the final 4.5Km where the gradients will largely be around the 7% mark, without any ramps that are too steep throughout it.

The ninth day will be the last in the north of Spain, and although it doesn’t look like the traditional mountain day, it will be a very important one for the GC as the race will head deep into the rugged mountains of the Asturias en route to tackle on of it’s hardest and steepest ascents. That will be to Les Praeres, officially it is a 3.9Km climb at 12.6% average gradient, incredibly steep however the first two 2.5 kilometers are mostly around gradients of 15%, a brutal effort from start to top where the peloton will just slowly be grinded until only the very best sit in front.

Stage 10 will be the race’s only individual time-trial, and one where gaps will be created and can be very important. After a week of complicated racing in the mountains, the time-trial will be completely flat and a big change to the legs of the riders who’ve been constantly pushing hard. The 31-kilometer route will start in Elche and head towards the sea, and the second half of the time-trial will be by the sea. It will finish in the popular coastal city of Alicante.

Stage 12 will see the ascent to Peñas Blancas, that will be just outside of Estepona. Officially it is 18.9 kilometers at 6.5% a serious mountain ascent that takes the riders from sea level to 1260 meters of altitude in the coastal mountains. It is a climb that’s relatively constant. It does feature some areas with a little smaller and higher gradient, but there is never truly much restbite, and the long effort will weigh on the legs of many on what is the first mountain stage of the second week where the fatigue will start to be felt on some riders.

Perhaps the queen stage of the Vuelta a Espana? There will be plenty stages where real gaps can be made, however surely will have this day in mind for a long time, and many will fear the climbs they will face. The first ascent will be the Alto del Purche, it is 9 kilometers long at 7.5%, however that features a small but steep descent close to the summit.

Sierra Nevada will host the finish, but the riders will climb via the Alto de Hazallanas which features it’s first 5 kilometers at over 10% average gradient with countless switchbacks. The climb is in total 19.4 kilometers long at 7.9%, and after it’s steep start it never features any restbite, and the last third becomes a straightforward ascent with no locations to surprise. A gruelling test of climbing prowess, a day for the pure climbers to show what they’re made of.

The final mountain stage of the Vuelta. At the end of three weeks of racing it will be a complicated day, but the Sierras de Madrid often offer dramatic race, and with 4000 meters of climbing on the day that will be a make-or-break ride for many. The ascents of the Puerto de Navacerrada, Puerto de Navafria, Puerto de Canencia, Puerto de Morcuera and Puerto de Cotos will be the final test for the GC riders.

**** Richard Carapaz

*** Jai Hindley, Simon Yates

** João Almeida, Primoz Roglic, Sergio Higuita

* Remco Evenepoel, Miguel Ángel López, Thymen Arensman, Pavel Sivakov

**** Ethan Hayter

*** Primoz Roglic, Mads Pedersen

** João Almeida, Pascal Ackermann, Kaden Groves

* Remco Evenepoel, Tim Merlier, Sam Bennett, Julian Alaphilippe