The 2023 edition of the Vuelta a España may well boast the strongest slate of contenders in the race’s history, with the defending champions of all three Grand Tours on the start line in Barcelona on Saturday.
Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard’s presence is the most intriguing, as he seeks a rare double, and his cohabitation with Jumbo-Visma teammate and Giro d’Italia winner Primož Roglič will be one of the key subplots of this race.
A year ago, Roglič was the man most likely to deny Remco Evenepoel overall victory until a crash ended his challenge in the third week. Now Evenepoel arrives at this Vuelta as the man with unfinished business after a bout of COVID-19 forced him out of the Giro while wearing the maglia rosa.
But this is a race of multiple contenders, with riders like Juan Ayuso, Geraint Thomas and João Almeida all quietly confident of making an impact between here and Madrid. Ahead of the race, Cyclingnews takes a closer look at the favourites for this Vuelta.
In ordinary circumstances, Roglič and Roglič alone would be the outstanding favourite for this Vuelta a España due to both his pedigree and his form. The three-time winner knows the particular exigencies of this race better than any other contenders, and he has a 100% record in stage race so far this season after victories at Tirreno-Adriatico, the Volta a Catalunya, the Giro d’Italia and this month’s Vuelta a Burgos. Only one man – Alberto Contador in 2008 – has won the Giro-Vuelta double since the Grand Tour calendar was reformatted in 1995, but Roglič looks well placed to succeed where Vincenzo Nibali came just short a decade ago.
The biggest obstacle to a record-equalling fourth triumph, however, might well come from within the Jumbo-Visma camp. Jonas Vingegaard was on another plane to allcomers at the Tour de France and if he reaches similar levels in Spain, Roglič might find himself consigned to a supporting role. The pair set out from Barcelona as joint leaders, mind, and Roglič’s ability to snare seconds in hilltop finishes might give him an early advantage. The stage 10 time trial will be pivotal for his ambitions.
Vingegaard’s superiority at the Tour brooked no argument and it seems very clear that he has not elected to ride the Vuelta simply as a deluxe domestique for Roglič. He…
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