Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco 2014 Preview

The Tour of the Basque Country is always an exciting race to watch, the parcours is full of short sharp climbs which lend themselves to attacking riding, while the absence of the truly high mountain finishes forces the GC riders to ride aggressively throughout. Given the spiky terrain and the overlap with the cobbled classic season there is usually a dearth of pure sprinters, with the flatter stages belonging to the more versatile fast men and teams filling their squads with climbers instead. The nature of the parcours and timing of the race also make it ideal preparation for the Ardennes week and provides an excellent barometer of form for the likely contenders there. The start list is still unofficial and changes are a certainty, so some rough calculations and guess work are required when preparing a preview and that should be borne in mind.

The Stages (Images from http://www.itzulia.net/en/2014)

 

Stage one

Stage one: Ordizia – Ordizia 153.4km

Stage one demonstrates why this race provides excellent preparation for the Ardennes classics, as the peloton has to tackle short and relatively sharp climbs throughout the day. The stage finishes 6.7km after the final ascent of the Alto de Gaintza, it’s short but steep. It’s a new climb to the race but the peloton climbs it for the first time about 50km earlier in the stage so we will get a good idea of what to expect on the final climb of the day. It certainly looks like an excellent attacking opportunity and any rider with their eye on the GC is going to have to be very alert on this stage

 

Stage two

Stage two: Ordizia – Dantxarinea (Urdazubi) 155.8km

Stage two features some significant climbing in the opening 110km but while the run in to the finish remains bumpy the stage should end with some sort of bunch sprint, though it looks like it may be an uphill sprint.

 

Stage three

Stage three: Urdazubi-Urdax – Vitoria-Gasteiz 194.5km

With climbing right from the start, stage three offers a great opportunity for a breakaway to establish a significant advantage, though if the wrong riders get up the road it could also see a frantic start as the peloton chases them down. It’s the longest stage in the race at 194.7km, there are two climbs in the final 35km and a 9km descent to the finish line and it could provide an opportunity for an attacker to spring away for the win. However the climbs don’t look that difficult so unless the GC teams really drive the pace or the descent is technical I would expect a reasonable sized group to reach the finish.

 

Stage four

Stage four: Vitoria-Gasteiz – Eibar-Arrate 151km

The most significant uphill finish in the race as the stage finishes atop the Alto de Usartza, a regular feature of the Tour of the Basque Country. It comes after another day full of climbing and it’s not a particularly long climb, coming in around 7km at 6.7%, but there is a 3km section in the middle which averages close to 10% and has a number of ramps in excess of that. The climb flattens off at the top with a short downhill section to the finish, Nairo Quintana (Movistar) won the stage last year and Samuel Sanchez (BMC) has a strong track record on this climb.

 

Stage five

Stage five: Eibar- Markina-Xemein 160.2km

The final road stage of the race has an imposing looking final 6okm full of the races characteristic short and sharp climbs, the final two of which are significant enough to provide a launch pad for a last roll of the dice ahead of the ITT. If a group reaches the finish together it will be a small one but it wouldn’t surprise me if a rider or a handful of riders can elude the chasers and stay clear to the finish.

 

Stage six

Stage six: Markina-Xemein – Markina-Xemein 25.9km

The race finishes with its customary time trial, this time on a hilly 25.9km course that should help to alleviate the weakness of some of the GC contenders against the clock.

 

The Riders

 

The Contenders

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) has enjoyed a storming start to the season; he was easily the best rider in the Vuelta a Andalucia, looked strong in Strade Bianche then even better when winning Roma Maxima the following day. He has been familiarising himself on the cobbles in the past week and looked strong enough to contend for victory here. Valverde is fast enough to win the sprint if small groups come to the finishes together, though he should be wary of Kwiatkowski. Valverde looked good against the clock in the prologue of the Vuelta a Andalucia and the hills in the ITT will certainly suit him.

Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo) is another rider who has enjoyed an impressive start to the season and showed his attacking intentions right from the start with victory on the Alto do Malhao in the Volta ao Algarve. Contador followed that with a terrific long range victory on stage five on his way to winning Tirreno-Adriatico. His form looks great but the lack of a fast finish could cost him here

The talented Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) has taken another step forward in 2014 and is rapidly approaching phenomenon status, if he isn’t already there. A strong punchy climber and excellent time trialist, Kwiatkowski is an obvious contender in this race, and he should be hitting form ahead of the Ardennes classics. His one weakness has been keeping up with the best on the longer climbs, but that isn’t a big deal on this parcours, and while he could lose some time on stage four, it won’t be much and he is capable of taking it back again in the ITT. Kwiatkowski is also a very fast finisher and will be dangerous if he is in the front group on any of the stages.

The World Champion Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) is still searching for that first win while wearing the rainbow stripes, but it hasn’t been for want of trying as he has consistently went on the offensive this season, with five 2nd place finishes to his credit. He is also well suited to the parcours, a good climber and time trialist, he descends well and has decent speed on the line, it may not be enough to bring the victory he craves, but he should be close.

Carlos Betancur (AG2R) is built for this sort of terrain, he excels on the punchy climbs and has good speed at the finish as he showed while winning Paris-Nice less than a month ago. However he abandoned the Volta a Catalunya with illness and if that has affected his condition the team could opt to go with Jean-Christophe Peraud, who won the Criterium International last weekend. Peraud is the stronger time trialist but Betancur coped well enough in the ITT in last year’s race and it had a similarly hilly parcours.

BMC would appear to have a host of options to lead them in the race. The form rider is Tejay van Garderen, he was looked strong in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, and will be keen to get some more race days in the legs to make up for being forced out of Paris-Nice with illness. Cadel Evans was off the pace in Tirreno-Adriatico and will need to find some form ahead of the Giro d’Italia, while the team could use the race to give either Samuel Sanchez or Darwin Atapuma a chance to show what they can do. Of course the Basque Sanchez is the obvious option; he knows this race superbly and has enjoyed success in the past, while Atapuma has the natural skill set to do well on this terrain.

Bauke Mollema (Belkin Pro Cycling Team) has yet to hit the heights of last July this season, but he remains a strong competitor. A very good climber and solid time trialist, he is also capable of riding very aggressively and has decent speed on the line.

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) has had a quiet start to the season, but the big Canadian has shown himself to be an aggressive rider when he has the right form and he could certainly shake things up. The team should have an excellent alternative in Tom-Jelte Slagter, a double stage winner in Paris-Nice, the talented puncheur will be at home on this parcours. Several finishes come after descents and if any of those are particularly technical then watch out for Janier Acevedo, the Colombian is terrific going downhill.

Simon Spilak (Katusha Team) showed he was starting to hit form towards the end of Paris-Nice as he launched several late attacks from the peloton. The aggressive climber should arrive here in stronger form and is more than capable of upsetting some of the bigger names.

When Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto Belisol) crashed out of Tirreno-Adriatico with a knee injury there was an initial worry that the serious problems that derailed his 2013 campaign were back. Thankfully that wasn’t the case and he is back racing, but he still remains a little short of the form he needs if he is to be competitive here.

If given the opportunity to ride for himself, Tanel Kangert (Astana) is more than capable of being a major factor in this race. A super-domestique for Vincenzo Nibali, Kangert has a strong all-round skill set and the attacking attitude to excel on this punchy terrain; he is also a capable, if inconsistent time trialist.

It seems likely that Team Sky would opt for Mikel Nieve to lead them in his home race. The gifted climber is set to be a key domestique for the team in the Tour de France, and having an opportunity for some personal glory ahead of that is good for the spirit of a domestique.

Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) has struggled to get going so far in 2014 but having finally finished a stage race in Catalunya he will hope to be more competitive here.

Warren Barguil (Giant-Shimano) is clearly an extremely gifted rider, and isn’t neither afraid of going on the offensive nor intimidated in the presence of the biggest names in cycling. He will have to be aggressive though as he seems certain to lose time on the final day ITT.

This parcours should be ideal for an aggressive rider such as Luis Leon Sanchez (Caja Rural). A highly opportunistic rider who likes to attack on climbs close to the finish, he is capable of descending away from the pack. Sanchez is also a strong time trialist and seems a natural candidate to contend here, but he was off the pace in Catalunya and that must be a concern, perhaps he struggled with the poor conditions and can recover for this next race.

Moreno Moser (Cannondale) is getting the chance to ride for himself after having worked for Peter Sagan for much of the season and he needs to make the most of it. A talented punchy climber, Moser has the skill set to impress on this parcours but he will have to be aggressive to do so.

It’s the latest race on the comeback trail for Frank Schleck (Trek Factory Racing) and he is coming into form ahead of the Ardennes classics. He finished 6th overall in the Criterium International and looked very strong on the Col de l’Ospidale. Time trialing is his likely downfall but the team can also call upon Bob Jungels who excels against the clock and is improving as a climber.

Cyril Gautier (Europcar) had a strong Paris-Nice, where he finished 6th overall. A punchy rider who is suited to the hilly parcours, he can struggle with the longer climbs but that isn’t a concern in this race, though he will likely lose some ground on the final stage time trial.

 

Other Riders to Watch

Michael Matthews (Orica GreenEDGE) is the fastest finisher in the race and a terrific climber for a fast man; he is the obvious favourite for stages two and three. The Australian team will also be hoping to see signs of form for Simon Gerrans, he opened the season on fire but a short break has been followed by illness and it may have left him short of form ahead of his next major targets in the Ardennes.

Philippe Gilbert (BMC) should be getting close to the form necessary to excel in the Ardennes and will use this race as his final tune up ahead of those races. If the form is there he could get involved in any reduced sprints and could well launch an attack on one of the stages with a hill near the end and a descent to the finish.

Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) is the clear favorite for the ITT, though the hilly nature of the course does play into the hands of the GC riders. Yet to win in 2014, the World Time Trial Champion will be keen to break his duck here and the fact that it is the longest time trial he has raced this season definitely suits him.

Ben Swift (Team Sky) is finally enjoying some success after suffering from rotten luck in 2013. Swift is a fast finisher and climbs well, he should be in contention on stages two and three, his podium placing in Milan-San Remo and stage victories in the Coppi e Bartali show the form is there to be a danger man in this race.

Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) has long been one of the best climbing sprinters around, lacking the speed to take on the top sprinters but capable of getting over hills that they can’t and finding success that way. He is only 28 but he seems to have lost some of his sprinting speed, which makes victories even harder to come by, but his climbing is better than ever and he showed great form to finish 4th overall in Paris-Nice.

The punchy Arthur Vichot (FDJ) took a fine win from a small group on the lumpy final stage of Paris-Nice, and there are similar stages in this race. I think we can expect to see that impressive French National Champion Jersey to the fore

Daniele Ratto (Cannondale) is at his best on the tougher sprint finishes and should be able to be competitive in this field.

 

 

2013 Vuelta a Espana: Notes From Stage Two

Astana were happy to let the break stay away

Faced with the unnecessary burden of defending the Red Jersey in the opening week, Astana were delighted to let a break gain a significant advantage, topping out around 13:00. It was a three man break, with Greg Henderson of Lotto Belisol, Alex Rasmussen of Garmin Sharp and Javier Aramendia of Caja Rural, which went away right at the start of the stage. With none of the riders carrying any real GC threat, Astana would happily have let them stay away to contest the win and relieve them fo the Red Jersey, for now. However other teams fancied a stage win today and eventually took up the chase, first it was Lampre-Merida who would like Diego Ulissi to go for a stage win on an uphill finish, then it was Vacansoleil-DCM who may have had Tomasz Marczynski, WOet Poels or Thomas De Gendt in mind. With the break encountering a stiff headwind and the peloton closing fast behind, the death knell was signaled for the trio in front, they were caught on the lower section of the final climb.

 

Nicholas Roche claims the biggest win of his career

As the peloton settled into the climb the Movistar riders hit the front and set a strong pace, Jose Herrada, Sylwester Szmyd, Javier Moreno and Benat Intxausti all working on the front. 2-3km into the climb Amets Txurruka of Caja Rural attacked, it will likely be the the first of many attacks in this race, today he was only able to stay ahead for 1km or so. Once Txurruka was brought back there was little happening at the front of the peloton, Movistar kept the pace high. Inside the final 2km Leopold Konig of NetApp-Endura went of the offensive, quickly opening a significant gap, after a brief delay Dani Moreno of Katusha, Nicholas Roche of Saxo-Tinkoff and Domenico Pozzovivo bridge over to him. After a brief hiatus with the four riders together, Pozzovivo attacked with no immediate response, Konig raised the pace behind then Nicholas Roche launched a strong counter attack, catching Pozzovivo and going into the lead. From that point things went perfectly for the Irishman, he raced clear of the other three, none of whom were able to match him, giving Roche his first stage win in a Grand Tour. He took it with aplomb and moves to second overall as a result. While Brajkovic had been dropped behind, Vincenzo Nibali finished with the favorites behind Roche and takes the Red Jersey.

 

As always the first mountain finish catches out some contenders

The first major contender to fall back was Samuel Sanchez, breaking Basque hearts in the process. It was surprising to see Sanchez suffer, he’d been decent in the Vuelta a Burgos and should have had the form to cope with the early climbs in this race. The Euskaltel-Euskadi team rallied round him to try and limit his losses, Gorka Verdugo, Egoi Martinez and Igor Anton all worked for Sanchez but he still finished 2:41 down. It was just as surprising to see Sky Procyclings’ Sergio Henao lose contact with the peloton shortly after Sanchez, he finished alongside the Euskaltel riders, though the good news for Sky is that Rigoberto Uran stayed with the group of favorites. It’s pure speculation of course, but it’s quite possible that Henao and Sanchez were under the weather today, perhaps they have struggled with illness or injury and not revealed it. Alternatively it could simply be the first mountain finish effect, it always catches some GC riders out. Henao and Sanchez weren’t the only riders to lose out today either, just the most significant. Janez Brajkovic struggled throughout the climb, though he gamely held on as long as he could, finally finishing 0:51 down. Jerome Coppel, Woet Poels, Jakob Fuglsang, Winner Anacona and Kevin De Weert were also among the many riders who lost significant time. Carlos Betancur finished 9;53 down with the grupetto, he clearly isn’t over his recent illness, the good news for him is that if he can hang on in there he can get through it and find form the final week where he will be free to ride aggressively.

 

Looking ahead to stage three

Stage 3: Vigo – Vilagarcía de Arousa

Once again Astana would likely be happy for the right breakaway to stay away and relieve then of the leaders jersey, however that is highly unlikely as a lot of teams will have their eye on a stage win tomorrow. The finish on the Mirador de Lobeira should be too tough for the more orthodox sprinters, but teams with fast men who are climbing well or punchy climbers will really fancy their chances. Any of Omega Pharma-Quick Step, Argos-Shimano, Belkin Pro Cycling, BMC, Cannondale, Orica-GreenEDGE, FDJ, Garmin-Sharp, or Euskaltel-Euskadi could decide to work to bring back any break, setting things up for their fast men. It could be a rider like Luis Leon Sanchez or Zdenek Stybar springing clear in the final 3km or a sprinter like Gianni Meersman or Michael Matthews who survives the steep section and is fastest at the finish.

 

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2013 Vuelta a Espana Preview Two: The Main Contenders

It is hard to breakdown the riders involved in the 2013 Vuelta a Espana at this time because teams have yet to finalize their rosters. It is also hard to assess which riders are here to race for the Overall Classification and which have another agenda. Some are building form for the World Championships, this being a year where a climber has a legitimate shot at becoming the World Road Race Champion, makes that a prime target for many riders and the tough Vuelta course is an excellent preparation for it. Of course the two are not mutually exclusive goals, the Worlds race comes two weeks after after the Vuelta, but peaking too early and carrying too much fatigue is a concern. Riders who are aiming for the Worlds may choose to hold back a little, picking some stages to target for a stage win but making sure they don’t overdo it. Others will aim to peak for the decisive final week knowing they can carry that form through to the World Championships, provided they are still in the GC race at that point there is no reason to avoid competing. Many riders are coming out of breaks and working their way towards fitness, while some are trying to recover from racing in the Tour de France and may have to contend with accumulated fatigue. All in all predicting which riders are likely to excel in the Vuelta is a tricky affair. However we do know who the main contenders are likely to be so it makes sense to start this series of rider previews with them. Once the lineups are more complete I will publish further rider previews.

The 2013 Vuelta a Espana is loaded with uphill finishes, anything from short uphill sprints to extremely difficult mountain top finishes. You can find the stage profiles here http://www.lavuelta.com and I have a preview of those stages here https://procyclingkev.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/vuelta-a-espana-preview-one-stage-by-stage/. The number of uphill finishes and the fact the sole individual time trial stage features climbing, combine to create the ideal course for a pure climber. The only problem stage for the climbers is the opening one with the 27.4km team time trial, however most of the main contenders will have strong teams who can minimize the time they lose on that stage. There are a couple of stages where the race may encounter crosswinds which raises the possibility of echelons splitting the peloton but that is unpredictable. Although GC riders need to be vigilant for danger every day, the  2013 Vuelta a Espana is back loaded, with most of the likely significant days in the second half of the race. The opening TTT is followed by the first mountain top finish of the race, it’s not a tough one compared with the stages ahead but it should combine with the TTT to create some early time gaps in the GC race and leave some riders seeking ways to make up time lost. The next likely significant GC day comes on stage eight with the long climb up the Alto de Penas Blancas, there are some finishes in between where riders can attack the peloton but no significant time gaps would be expected. With riders hoping to combine the Vuelta with the Worlds, and possibly the Giro di Lombardia a week after that, many will hope to use the first 8-9 days to get into form without losing much time. However they had better be ready by the time the race gets to stage ten, the Alto Hazallanas is not for the faint hearted. Any rider who is far from their best is going to lose a lot of time on it, from this point the GC race is properly on.

 

Joaquim Rodriguez – Katusha

It’s not much of an exaggeration to suggest that Joaquim Rodriguez will never have a better chance to finally win a Grand Tour. He is now 34, has finished on the podium of all three Grand Tours, won stages at all three as well, he has won a monument (Giro di Lombardia), and won in the Ardennes (La Fleche Wallonne). Adding to his palmares with victory in the Vuelta would almost make his career complete. Purito has always been a pure climber, at his best on the steep sections where he can kick away from his heavier rivals. In the past he has always been let down by his time trialing, he has improved over time but it remains a weakness, unless of course it involves climbing. If Rodriguez was to design his ideal stage race, I suspect the parcours would have many uphill finishes and a mountainous ITT, just like the 2013 Vuelta.

Joaquim Rodriguez started the Tour de France a little out of sorts, but he had timed it so he would peak towards the end of the race. That final week form let him claw his way onto the podium, if he can find that form again in the Vuelta he stands a great chance of winning. The one worry must be fatigue after racing a tough Tour de France. It isn’t easy to finish three tough weeks of racing and be ready to reprise that effort five weeks later. It often catches a rider out in the final week of the second tour when accumulated fatigue just saps the legs right when the going gets toughest. He won’t have raced at all in the period in between in an effort to recover and avoid that slump during the Vuelta. Of course that could mean he isn’t at his best at the start but that’s alright, so long as he is getting close to his best after the first 8-9 stages.

 

Alejandro Valverde – Movistar

The 2009 winner, Alejandro Valverde was also 2nd overall in 2012 and is well suited to the parcours. A very strong climber with a surprisingly fast finish for a climber, Valverde is also a strong time trialist, though he can be distanced by the elite climbers on the toughest climbs. 2013 hasn’t been a banner year for Valverde, his form has been good enough but he hasn’t been able to land the big results. 2nd in the Amstel Gold Race, 3rd in Liege-Bastogne-Liege and 2nd again in the Classica Ciclista San Sebastian. He was looking strong at the Tour de France but misfortune and a questionable decision left him 10 minutes adrift in the winds of stage thirteen and the race was beyond him, though he still finished 8th overall. Once out of contention, Valverde alternated between supporting Nairo Quintana and seeking a chance to pursue a stage win, though he never came close than 3rd. Valverde clearly has talent to contest the overall victory here but he may find it hard to recover from his exertions at the Tour, his legs could well be hampered by fatigue in the final week. Between the Tour and the Vuelta his only race will have been that one day in San Sebastian, it will help with the fatigue but may see him undercooked for the Vuelta.

Alejandro Valverde does have a great skill set for this years World Championship race and it has been suggested that he might hold back in the Vuelta, pick some stages to try and win and work towards the World Championships rather than putting everything into winning the Vuelta. He won two stages in 2012, taking his total to 7 stage wins in the Vuelta and it also netted him the Points Jersey. With so many finishes that suit him he should be one of the favorites to win stages in this race, regardless of whether or not he is riding for the GC. The Movistar squad will have potential alternative GC riders so it is a possibility, though Valverde has been named as team captain and I suspect that he will he will be there to win. It’s possible they will let his form dictate it, in which case, if he is still in close contention after stage, ten then he rides for the GC.

 

Vincenzo Nibali – Astana

The 2010 winner, Vincenzo Nibali comes to the Vuelta while enjoying his greatest season as a cyclist. His Giro d’Italia victory was a tour de force, he was simply dominant and a very deserving winner. That performance was on a similar level to Chris Froome’s at the Tour de France, their expected clash in the 2014 Tour is something to look forward to. He had shown his form beforehand, winning at Tirreno-Adriatico and the Giro del Trentino. He is another superb climber, when on form he can give 2-3 good hard kicks on the climbs, he does like to attack and is a terrific descender. He can also be a strong enough time trialist, and can dominate when it’s not a flat course, he will be a favorite on stage 11.

Nibali has admitted that sponsorship commitments meant he didn’t get as much structured rest and training after the Giro as he would have liked. As a result he arrived at the Tour of Poland a little behind in his preparations, he will have been happy with the difficult course then as it helped get him into condition. He looked stronger at the Vuelta a Burgos, where he contended for the win right up until the final 2km at which point he couldn’t follow Quintana and struggled home almost 50 seconds down. Not ideal perhaps but it was much better than he had looked in Poland and he has the time to find his best for the second half of the Vuelta. After the Giro Nibali immediately began preparing for the World Championships on home soil, it’s his priority for the 2nd half of the season and it could affect his motivation at the Vuelta if he is struggling at all by the mid way point. However peaking for the final week will give him excellent form for the Worlds so I don’t see any real issue. Although he has already completed a Grand Tour this year, the fact that the Giro finished in May and he has had time to recover from that, should make fatigue less of a factor than it is for those coming from the Tour.

 

Samuel Sanchez – Euskaltel-Euskadi

Samuel Sanchez has spent a career riding for the Basque Euskaltel-Euskadi, with their expected demise this represents his final chance to win the Vuelta in their colors. At 35, and facing a search for a new team, it may well be his final chance to win it altogether. A former Olympic Champion, Sanchez has always been a gifted and attacking rider on punchy climbs and he is another terrific descender who doesn’t hesitate to use that to his advantage. While the course is good for him his form may not b equal to the task. He hasn’t been at his best in 2013, he was off the pace in the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco and struggled in the Giro where he was only able to finish 12th, though his form was improving towards the end. He did win a stage in the Criterium du Dauphine when he and Jacob Fuglsang went away on the penultimate climb and contested the win, a victory which should both his tactical nous and his ability to look like he was suffering. He returned from a two month break at the Vuelta a Burgos and was again a little off the pace, though that would be expected in his first race back. He has been doing a lot of altitude training and will hope to use the first week of the Vuelta to find his racing legs ahead of the crucial stages. I think he may be included in the list of favorites more on hope than genuine expectation, but if he finds his form he will be fresher than some of his rivals. He could pull off a surprise.

 

Bauke Mollema – Belkin Pro Cycling

For many in cycling, Bauke Mollema appeared to have something of a coming out party at the Tour de France, where he had ridden into a podium place before fading at the end. It was revealed after the race the he had been suffering a little with illness in the last week. It was a continuation of the form he had shown in the Tour de Suisse, where he finished 2nd, and in many ways it was only a surprise because he had always played second fiddle to Robert Gesink. Mollema was free to ride for himself in the Vuelta in 2011 and finished 4th, giving a glimpse of his potential and giving him a fondness for the race. He was always a strong all round performer but he has taken his climbing to another level in 2013, even so I think he could struggle a little on some of the toughest mountain finishes, the lack of a flatter ITT also harms his chances as he would be expected to beat most of his GC rivals on a flatter course. The course may not be in his favor, and he may feel the effects of fatigue, having raced the Tour de France, but his performance there will have his self belief sky high right now and that can compensate a little.

 

Ivan Basso – Cannondale

Ivan Basso is a double Giro winner, 2006 and 2010, but has only competed in the Vuelta once before, finishing 4th in 2009. At 35, and having shown signs of decline in the last two seasons, I’d believed the days of Ivan Basso as a Grand Tour contender were in the past. It certainly seemed that way early in 2013 as he was really struggling to find form prior to the Giro. However he developed a cyst and had to withdraw from the Cannondale squad prior to the start, and was then left out of the Tour de France squad. It gave him an enforced break from training and racing and it seems to have let him finally find some form as he builds up for the Vuelta. In the Tour de Pologne, he was there or there abouts on the toughest climbs in the Dolomites, it was a positive sign. He followed that up with a more impressive performance on the final day of the Vuelta a Burgos, which featured a finish atop the tough Lagunas de Neila. On the climb Basso was able to follow the moves when Nibali, Quintana and David Arroyo went up the road. Inside the final 2 km, Arroyo attacked, Nibali and Quintana countered but Basso was unable to follow, instead he simply set his own pace and powered his way to the finish, passing Nibali and catching Arroyo. It was a very encouraging sign for Basso and his best performance of 2013 so far. Basso is another gifted climber, but unlike most of those already mentioned, he isn’t an explosive one. Instead he is best setting a high pace he is comfortable with and working his way up the climbs. It’s hard to believe that Ivan Basso really is going to roll back the years but he does have one big advantage over the other contenders, he hasn’t competed in a Grand Tour this year. He will be the freshest of all of the competitors and is already showing good form.

 

Sergio Henao – Sky Procycling

It seems you can’t have a Grand Tour race without a Sky rider contending, this time it’s Sergio Henao’s turn. The 25 year old Colombian will go to the Vuelta as team leader, with his compatriot Rigoberto Uran there in support, both riders will have an eye on the World Championships that follow. Henao is an excellent climber, he is at his best on the steeper climbs, as he showed in the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, while winning a stage with a 20% incline at the finish. He showed good form early in 2013, finishing 3rd overall in that race and 2nd in La Fleche Wallonne, he also looked very strong at the start of the Giro but ran out of form half way through. I had the impression that he wasn’t originally scheduled to ride there, but had been added to the team at short notice. Henao finished 14th in the 2012 Vuelta where he was riding in support of Chris Froome, however this time he gets the chance to ride for himself. It will be a good experience for him and with a parcours well suited to him, he is a potential stage winner and a podium contender. Henao had a two month break after the Giro, returning at the Tour de Pologne, where he looked good but with work to do to get his form right. His legs will certainly be fresher than they were in the Giro and he could well be a contender for the overall victory.

 

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