In just a week La Vuelta will start a new edition. It is not just any year. The list of runners is one of the best in memory and the favorites are counted everywhere. Evenepoel, Roglic, Vingegaard, Ayuso... These are just some of the cyclists who will fight to inscribe their name in the history of La Vuelta. In this article we will analyze how all the calls to shake the hornet's nest arrive in the great Spanish tour.
Last year he showed that he could endure a great tour by winning the Spanish round but in this edition there are some elements that suggest that he will have to sweat a lot more if he wants to put on the red jersey again. The range of favorites is expanding this 2023 and apart from competing against Primoz Roglic, the Belgian will have to face many other figures that we will now review. He does not lack quality and unlike his biggest rivals, his entire team will work for him, something that can make a difference when the hot spots of this Tour arrive.
He did not win, he did not even finish La Vuelta of yesteryear, but the guts that Roglic showed with his attitude of wanting to make up for lost time against Evenepoel in 2022 earned him a place in the hearts of every fan. For this year, the Slovenian wants his performance to transcend to the epic and translate into his fourth overall victory in this test, which would make him the cyclist who has achieved it the most times. Like Evenepoel, this time the story will not be about just the two of them and one of his great rivals will have him as a partner, a certain Jonas Vingegaard.
The Dane arrives at La Vuelta as a brand new winner of the Tour de France, with all that that entails. Vingegaard showed a performance superior to anything that has been seen this season during the Grand Boucle and despite the fact that there will be cyclists who will arrive at La Vuelta in better shape, it would be foolish not to place the best climber in the world as one of the favorites to the ultimate victory. His role is yet to be defined and although it is clear that Roglic will not be a gregarious player, we will see how he plans the Jumbo race, giving both of them freedom or using them strategically to disarm other teams.
After a Vuelta 2022 where he appeared in society, this year he has a very different task: leading the UAE. A role that during the year is reserved almost exclusively for Tadej Pogacar but that must be assumed by the young Spanish promise. Throughout the season he has left flashes of great quality but his entire calendar has been focused on performing from August 26 to September 17. It is time to consecrate himself as one of the greats and what better setting than at home to do so.
The UAE has surrounded Juan Ayuso well to try to aspire to everything. Among them is a Joao Almeida who on a good day can be better than Ayuso but who initially reaches the Spanish round as second sword. However, he is not one to settle for being in the background. He already starred in somewhat strange moments during the last Volta a Catalunya where he attacked with an escaped teammate (and with the possibility of winning the stage) when he saw that he could move him out of the podium places. He's not the easiest racer to control from the car, but he's got the legs to rub shoulders with whoever he is.
At 37, Geraint Thomas showed in the last Giro that he still has the strength to compete in a Grand Tour. On that occasion he ended up succumbing to a Primoz Roglic who destroyed him in the final time trial, but the level was there. He now faces a new adventure where there are many other enemies to control which should make the task difficult. The good thing about the situation is that he is less favorite and that can give him more freedom when it comes to attacking. He has experience and a team too, we'll see how far Thomas goes.
Enric Mas' year has not been good at all. The Spaniard made a mediocre start to the season, was left out of the Tour in the first stage and does not seem to have the rhythm of other years. However, La Vuelta is his race and in it he has an 'extra life' to show that he is still among the best climbers in the peloton. His leadership status at Movistar will not be questioned, so his performance will depend on him.
His season has been almost a carbon copy of Mas's. The Ecuadorian was also KO'd in the first stage of the Tour and has gone largely unnoticed so far. His adaptation to EF has not been as good as expected and he has taken a step back in terms of performance. But Richard is a fighter and it is expected that he will be on the cover again during this Tour of Spain. Only then will he be able to turn the page on what has been a bad year.
Aleksndt Vlasov is keeping a very low profile this season. Few appearances but always leaving good feelings. Under normal conditions, the Russian would be someone to watch very closely, but within a squad with such high quality, Vlasov is relegated to a second rung of favourites. Much better for him. If he wants a place on the podium he will have to fish in a troubled river and only if he is not taken into account will he be able to do it. Be careful with Vlasov.
Although the team has not yet confirmed its presence in La Vuelta, it is an open secret that Landa will be present. The Basque cyclist confirmed a few days ago that next season he will head towards Quick-Step to act as a luxury domestique for Remco Evenepoel, which means that this will be his last big appointment with the team that hosted him in 2020. He is not here It's been a great season for him and I'm sure he'd like to say goodbye to the team with a good result in La Vuelta.
