La Vuelta 2023 starts this Saturday, from Barcelona, for a time trial, before joining Madrid in the last stage. The course will be contested by three big favorites in the middle of a cast worthy of the Tour de France.
It’s gone, or almost. La Vuelta 2023, the last grand tour of the season, starts in Catalonia this Saturday August 26, with a 23 km team time trial in the evening, starting at 7 p.m. After a Tour de France epic in June and completely crazy World Championships in Glasgow, it’s an exciting new race which is announced between Barcelona and Madrid, city of arrival on September 17th.
Between the two cities, the 78th Tour of Spain has 21 stages and a total distance of 3153.8 kilometers. And the profile of the stages is particularly difficult: there will be a total of ten altitude finishes and many new passes through three countries, Spain, Andorra and France. “The mountain is part of Vuelta’s DNA and will still thrill us in 2023,” explained Javier Guillén, Vuelta director. For this 2023 edition, the Tour of Spain will arrive for the first time at the Tourmalet, with its 17 kilometers of climb at an average of 7.4%. “Arriving at the Tourmalet will be a milestone in the history of our race” also explained Javier Guillén.
The three favorites
If the Vuelta looks so exciting, it’s also because three huge favorites show up on the starting line. The title holder, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal – Quick Step), intends to win again, but will have a hard time facing the Jumbo-Visma. Already winner of Giro and the Tour de France and determined to offer themselves the third “Grand Tour” of the year, the Dutch team aligns its two enemy brothers, Primoz Roglictriple winner in 2019, 2020, 2021 and Jonas Vingegaardmonster of the Grande Boucle last month.
While Roglic, leader of the Vuelta last year, was forced to retire after a fall, he is coming back in great shape to recover “his” trophy this year. Winner of the Giro, the Tour of Catalonia, but also the Tour de Burgos, Tirreno-Adriatico, he skipped the Tour de France to devote himself to this Vuelta. But his Danish teammate should not give him a gift, he who confirmed his (surprise?) participation in the Vuelta, despite an exhausting season. “I’m going to the Vuelta as a co-leader with Roglic, not as a teammate. I would like to win it,” Vingegaard already warned in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca at the end of July.
The absents
The Vuelta 2023 will also have a major absentee: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) will not be at the start. After being outclassed by Vingegaard on the roads of France, then defeated at the Glasgow World Championships, the Slovenian confirmed, also with Marca in mid-August, his absence on the Spanish roads. “I’ve been at a high level since February, there’s no way I’ll make La Vuelta. We have a super good team for the Tour of Spain, I don’t even want to get in their way,” he said. declared.
The general public will also have to do without the big names Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and other Julian Alaphilippe. While it is said that sprinters shun the Vuelta course (unless it is the opposite), rockets Fabio Jakobsen, Dylan Groenewegen or Jasper Philipsen will also be missing.
The locals and the French challengers
The Vuelta is also the dream of seeing the Spaniards return to their golden age. The top local hopefuls are Enric Mas and the young Juan Ayuso who will be aiming for stage victories and the podium, or even more if they have an affinity. The two men finished 2nd and 3rd in the last edition, and the dream of winning the Tour of Spain, nine years after Alberto Contador, must be firmly in their heads.
Regarding the French runners, Romain Bardet (DSM-Team), Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies team) and Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ) concentrate all expectations. The first, forced to retire after fifteen stages of the Tour de France, wants to shine with his Team DSM-Firmenich.
Eyes will also be on the Groupama-FDJ team, greatly rejuvenated around Grégoire and Rudy Molard. Director Marc Madiot is counting on the succession of Thibaut Pinot and Arnaud Démare, with Lenny Martinez, Lorenzo Germani and Samuel Watson. Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) is also on the starting line.
The Vuelta traditionally takes place after the Tour de France. For its 78th edition, the start of the Tour of Spain has been scheduled for August 26, of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, more than a month after the arrival of the Tour de France (July 23). The finish of the Tour of Spain was set three weeks later, on September 17.
Holder of the TV rights to the French and Italian classics as well as the three major tours (Giro, Tour de France, Vuelta), the group Eurosport has been appointed to broadcast all the stages of the Tour of Spain 2023 on its channels.
Here is the start list of the Vuelta 2023 with the competing teams and the list of riders on the starting line.
A route marked by the mountains and which leaves little room for mass arrivals… Here is the detail of the route of the Tour of Spain 2023 with the full map:
After a team time trial of 14 kilometers from the seaside of the Barcelona city, the Tour of Spain will end on the Hippodrome de la Zarzuela, in Madrid. The list of steps:
- 1st stage – Saturday August 26: Barcelona – Barcelona, 23.3 km (team time trial)
- 2nd stage – Sunday August 27: Mataró – Barcelona, 181.3 km
- 3rd stage – Monday August 28: Suria – Arinsal (Andorra), 158.5 km
- 4th stage – Tuesday August 29: Andorra la Vella (Andorra) – Tarragona, 183.4 km
- 5th stage – Wednesday August 30: Morella – Burriana, 185.7 km
- 6th stage – Thursday August 31: Vall D’Uixó – Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory, 181.3 km
- 7th stage – Friday September 1: Utiel – Oliva, 188.8 km
- 8th stage – Saturday September 2: Dénia – Xorret de Catí, 164.8 km
- 9th stage – Sunday September 3: Cartagena – Caravaca de la Cruz, 180.9 km
- *** First rest day – Monday, September 4 ***
- 10th stage – Tuesday September 5: Valladolid – Valladolid, 25 km (individual time trial)
- 11th stage – Wednesday September 6: Lerma – La Laguna Negra, Vinuesa, 163.2 km
- 12th stage – Thursday September 7: Ólvega – Zaragoza, 165.4 km
- 13th stage – Friday September 8: Formigal – Col du Tourmalet (France), 134.7 km
- 14th stage – Saturday September 9: Sauveterre-de-Béarn (France) – Larra-Belagua, 161.7 km
- 15th stage – Sunday September 10: Pamplona – Lekunberri, 156.5 km
- *** Second rest day – Monday, September 11 ***
- 16th stage – Tuesday September 12: Liencres Playa – Bejes, 119.7 km
- 17th stage – Wednesday September 13: Ribadesella – Col del Angliru, 122.6 km
- 18th stage – Thursday September 14: Pola de Allande – La Cruz de Linares, 178.9 km
- 19th stage – Friday September 15: La Bañeza – Íscar, 177.4 km
- 20th stage – Saturday September 16: Manzanares El Real – Guadarrama, 208.4 km
- 21st stage – Sunday September 17: Hippodrome de la Zarzuela – Madrid, 101 km