"The Vuelta organizers need to take a look in the mirror" - Belgian pundit on 'extreme' Vuelta route; Pogacar's absence; Vingegaard vs UAE

The final Grand Tour of the season is starting and there are a lot of stories to be told at the upcoming Vuelta a España. The battle between Jonas Vingegaard and UAE's João Almeida and Juan Ayuso is certainly the biggest question; but the before the start of the race Belgian pundit and commentator Renaat Schotte also discussed the absence of Tadej Pogacar and the extremely mountainous route that hinders the sprinters' chances.

With the absence of Tadej Pogacar, the fight for the overall classification is more open than what we have seen at the Tour. "When the race starts, you don't have to consider them, and it would also be a bit disrespectful to the riders who did start. Pogacar made his own decision, and it wasn't a surprise. It was physically and mentally too much," Renaat Schotte said to Sporza. The World Champion finished the Tour de France exhausted, physically and mentally, and pulled the plug on his Vuelta return.

"He drew a long line from Strade Bianche to the Tour. The workload was enormous. There had to come a point when he was full. I can imagine he was still considering the Vuelta before the Tour, but during the Tour, all that accumulation took its toll." Ultimately, Visma's tactics during the Tour to go out on the attack daily eventually did succeed in taking out their main competitor for the Vuelta.  

Now Vingegaard, for the first time since the 2023 Tour, starts a Grand Tour as the man to beat. "But I think that status is overestimated," Schotte argues. "We'll have a more open Vuelta than currently anticipated. What form will Vingegaard have in this Vuelta? That's a question mark. He's also withdrawn from the World Championships, which again shows that he doesn't want the burden of a full season on his shoulders. That's kind of the common thread throughout his career."

But doing the Tour-Vuelta combo isn't a novelty for the Dane, who did this back in 2023 and finished second (only behind teammate Sepp Kuss, whom he protected) despite starting the race ill.

"Yes, he can definitely handle that combination. But he more or less gave that race away, and that's always a risk in your career. It's logical that we put forward the man with the best credentials, but once the race starts, only the legs count." With Kuss, Matteo Jorgenson and several other quality riders backing him up, the 29-year old is with good reason the main favourite to win this race.

But UAE still bring in big weapons despite the abseence of Pogacar. "They have a pair of riders with João Almeida and Juan Ayuso. I'm putting that trio more or less on equal footing. You can make a case for each of them. That perception has been created by the angry outside world, but we don't know what their relationship is really like. Based on what's happening on social media, it's then picked up by the mainstream media, and it often takes on a life of its own."

The dynamic between Ayuso and Almeida - teaming up for the first time since the 2024 Tour - will also be a very interesting question in this race, specially taking into consideration they are both very similar types of riders.

"In this Vuelta, we'll discover their true value, and I think they'll start on the same level. The tarmac will then determine who's the best. As a team, I'd rather be in their shoes, because if Vingegaard is less successful, UAE can capitalize on that. In a climbing festival like this Vuelta, you can never be spared."

Schotte also had negative comments on the Vuelta route, which is seen by some as excessive in terms of mountainous and hilly stages. The sprinters will only have six opportunities, and out of those only three finales (Novara, Zaragoza and Madrid) actually have a flat finale or stage overall. "The Vuelta organizers need to take a look in the mirror, because this is a bit much". 

"No one wants 10 mountaintop finishes. This Vuelta is a perfect illustration of the excessive focus on climber types. The pendulum has swung too far. Sprinters and classics riders are getting far too little attention. The last Tour was a nice exception, and I hope they continue on that path, but at the highest level, the Grand Tours need to consult with the UCI".

After a Tour route that provided plenty opportunities for the fast men but specially the classics specialists, the Vuelta has big shoes to fill when it comes to providing as much spectacle.

"I think sprinters should get their fair share in at least one Grand Tour every year. We're indeed coming from an era with an excessive number of sprint opportunities, but now they're becoming an endangered species, so to speak. We always talk about the overly long and boring TV broadcasts, but solutions can be found for that".

"The sprinter profession shouldn't disappear. They're part of the ABC of cycling. And I think classic riders like Mathieu van der Poel or Wout van Aert, for example, should also be given a Grand Tour every three years where they have a chance to win".