Renaat Schotte - "Vuelta a Espana now lacks that build-up to the World Championships, It will have to rely on their own strength"

The World Championships coming before the Vuelta a Espana means that many riders will shift their focus away from the grand tour, which is typically seen as preparation for the World Championships.

Commentator Renaat Schotte argues that this time it will not be the same case."So the saying that the Vuelta is a preparation race for the World championship every four years can go into the waste paper basket," Schotte told Sporza. He continues, "But whether that will really change the course? Yes and no."

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He further added, "It in no way degrades the Vuelta. That adjustment could also be an advantage because there will be fewer abandonments. Riders will not abandon in the function of the World Championship and will consider the Vuelta even more as a goal in itself."

If a rider's results in the initial two grand tours fall short of their expectations, they will likely focus on the Spanish race as an opportunity to improve. "Of course, this grand tour also has enough tradition and strength to stand on its own. And you can also see that in the course. It is a typical mountain DNA with ten arrivals uphill. But the Vuelta is also a reserve round. You can always go there for a rematch. You can never predict that. Imagine something happening at the beginning of the Giro."

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The grand tour is known to have surprises, and Schotte is cognizant of that fact. "Vuelta is a game of unpredictability anyway. It now lacks that build-up to the World championships and the attention that comes with it. They will now have to rely on their own strength. In that respect, it's a test," concluded Schotte.

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