On Monday Israel-Premier Tech released its lineup for the 79th Vuelta a España, which begins on Saturday in Lisbon, Portugal, and Michael Woods will be heading to his fifth Vuelta. Inclusion in the 2024 edition means that Rusty will have raced the Vuelta more than any other Grand Tour.
We’re off to Spain, via Portugal, for the first time since 2022 🧳 @lavuelta preview 👉 https://t.co/M7ZQTiSn30#LaVuelta24 🇪🇸 #YallaIPT pic.twitter.com/FlItxup1kc
— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) August 12, 2024
Except for the 2023 Tour de France, where he memorably triumphed atop Puy de Dôme, Grand Tours haven’t been kind to Woods of late. The 2023 Tour was the only Grand Tour he has finished out of his last five. In May Woods didn’t start Stage 6 after crashing on Stage 5. In his last Vuelta, Woods crashed out in the third stage, suffering a concussion.
But the Spanish Grand Tour has also been his most successful one. He has two stage victories, and finished seventh in 2017, his highest Grand Tour placing. Recently, he came eighth in the Basque Country’s San Sebastian Klasikoa.
The 79th edition is bookended with individual time trials. The mighty Lagos de Covadonga is Stage 16’s summit finish. Reigning champion Sepp Kuss, Primož Roglič, Adam Yates, João Almeida and Mikel Landa are the GC favourites.
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