The Tour de France may have only ended just last month, but already the cycling world is looking towards the next men’s Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España.
The Vuelta is the third and final three-week race of the year and sees a wealth of stage racing talent vying for the red jersey every year.
Defending champion Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) is confirmed to race following his crash and injury at the Tour in July, and enters the race as the outright favourite as he huntes for a fourth consecutive Vuelta title.
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As well as Roglič, who are the other favourites for this year’s Vuelta a España? We take a look at the leading contenders and their chances of winning in Spain.
Odds correct at time of publication
Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) – 9/4
Roglič has been the undisputed king of the Vuelta over recent years, winning the race a remarkable three times in a row. The Slovenian has been utterly dominant and will hope to add a fourth title to his palmarès this year.
This edition of the Vuelta looks like on of the most complicated for him to win however, with a strong line-up taking aim at stopping him and his recent fightback from the injury he suffered at the Tour de France.
Roglič’s early exit from the Tour was specifically to allow him to recover from his crash injuries to get ready for the Vuelta, but it means his form is a complete unknown. Whether or not he’ll have the ability to put in the ruthless displays he has in previous editions remains to be seen, but the defending champion remains the strong favourite despite his recent setbacks.
Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) – 5/1
Having established himself among the best one-day classics and week-long stage race riders in the world, Remco Evenepoel now needs to prove himself in a Grand Tour and enters the Vuelta in red hot form.
The 22-year-old has been at his prolific best this year, taking 11 wins already including Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the recent Clásica San Sebastián. His GC victories this season include the Volta ao Algarve and the Tour of Norway, but he has struggled to make the same impact at WorldTour races like Tirreno-Adriatico, Itzulia Basque Country, and the Tour de Suisse, coming unstuck against more established climbers.
Whether or he can go all the way in a Grand Tour remains to be seen, having only ridden the Giro d’Italia so far which he abandoned on stage 18…