Given the number of mountain top finishes in this edition of the Vuelta a Espana, many of the stages in this race are likely to be contested by the GC riders. However, as always there are also a number of very talented riders who have come to the race with the aim of winning stages. Sprinters, time trialists, climbers and all-rounders, all can identify stages to their liking.
Simon Gerrans – Orica-GreenEDGE
A stage winner in all three Grand Tours as well as in several notable one-day races, Simon Gerrans is a terrific finisher on the slightly tougher stages. He can climb well enough, and should be a favorite to win on any stages with an uphill finish, or that will end with a sprint from a select group. I fully expect him to continue his fine 2013 form and win yet again at the Vuelta. He has four stage wins to his credit already in 2013, winning in the Santos Tour Down Under, the Volta Ciclista alCatalunya, the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and of course in the Tour de France.
Mikel Nieve – Euskaltel-Euskadi
Nieve has arguably been the Basque team’s best performer in 2013. He was climbing very well in the Tour de France, but having lost time in the wind on stage 13 was out of the GC running. He still finished 12th overall and looked particularly strong on Mont Ventoux where he came 3rd. Though he gave great effort, he couldn’t land either a stage win (that 3rd was his best finish), nor win the KoM Jersey (he finished 3rd). If he could carry that form over into the Vuelta a Espana he could well contend for a high finish, but his efforts at the Tour will have taken a lot out of him. He may be better deployed as a support climber for Sanchez and given the freedom to pick a couple of mountain stages and go hunting for wins, and a new team for 2014.
Fabian Cancellara – RadioShack-Leopard
With a burning ambition to win the World Championships Road Race, Spartacus is coming to the Vuelta to hone his form and his climbing legs. With that in mind I expect to see him being quite aggressive on the climbs, looking to get into breaks and hunting stage wins. Although the ITT on stage 11 isn’t one that suits a time trial specialist he should still be a favorite to win it, particularly if he is climbing well. Cancellara will also be the most important rider for RadioShack during the opening team time trial, and with some good supporting riders there they could take victory.
Luis Leon Sanchez – Belkin Pro Cycling
Having been held out of races early in the season, Luis Leon Sanchez is coming to the Vuelta, with fresh legs and impressive form. One of the finest opportunistic stage winners in cycling, Sanchez excels at attacking on a climb, from a break, or on a descent, then staying away for the victory, he is also very dangerous on an uphill sprint and a fine time trialist to boot. For such an all-round talent, it is surprising that he has never won a stage at the Vuelta, the closest he has been was 3rd place on a stage in 2011. He will have multiple opportunities to contest for a stage win on this parcours and his stage win in the Tour de l’Ain suggests he is ready to do just that.
Philippe Gilbert – BMC
2013 has not been kind to the World Champion, crashes, poor form, and injuries have foiled all of his attempts to win while wearing the Rainbow Jersey. He arrives at the race after having pulled out of the Eneco Tour with a bad cut on his leg, it has been restricting his movement and could hinder his chances of doing well in the Vuelta. Gilbert will be hoping to find the sort of form he showed in the 2012 Vuelta, where he was a double stage winner. The good news is that there are several stages in the 2013 Vuelta that look very good for him, stages three, four, nine and nineteen all have finishes that will appeal to Gilbert. The bad news is that he isn’t the only rider who will fancy those stages, there are other punchy sprinters in the race, such as Gerrans, and an inform Stybar, and a lot of punchy climbers who will relish the opportunity to go for stage wins.
Gianni Meersman – Omega Pharma-Quick Step
Gianni Meersman has been having an impressive season, doubling up on stage wins in both the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and the Tour de Romandie. One of the top climbing sprinters, he is at his best on hilly stages, where the fastest finishers are often dropped, and he should combine with Stybar to form a very dangerous pair for the tougher sprint stages. He showed he was finding his form again when he won the prologue in the Tour de l’Ain and will be keen to claim his first Gran Tour stage win(s) in this race.
Theo Bos – Belkin Pro Cycling
Theo Bos is a frustrating sprinter to watch, he seems to have more than his fair share of misfortune in the bunch sprints, where things can go quite wrong for him. When he does get it right he is very fast and capable of matching up with most of the sprinters in the peloton, as he did in the Ster ZLM Toer or the Glava Tour of Norway. At 29, this will only be his 3rd Grand Tour, he has been known to struggle with the climbs in the past and it may have made the team hesitant to include him for those races. However there are no sprinters in this field that he cannot beat, and with a strong team to support him (Wagner, Brown and Tanner are all involved) there is no reason he can’t be successful.
Edvald Boasson Hagen – Sky Procycling
The somewhat enigmatic Boasson Hagen, is a terrifically talented cyclist who is capable of excelling on all terrain types. He is a capable sprinter who does best on the tougher stages, when the very best sprinters have been dropped, he will also be a contender for the uphill sprints in this race. He is a good climber for such a powerful rider and will be a major asset to Henao as well as a potential stage winner. He hasn’t raced since crashing out of the Tour de France and is hoping to use the Vuelta as preparation for the World Championsips. He has frustrated many observers because there is a feeling he isn’t getting the most from his immense talent, more was expected from the rider who burst onto the scene as a 21 year old with Team Columbia. However he is sill only 26 and has had considerable success; he has won stages in both the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia and will be hoping to complete the Grand Tour set in this race.
Tyler Farrar – Garmin-Sharp
In 2010 Farrar was one of the very best sprinters in the world, and threatening to become elite. Since then he has suffered enough injuries, crashes, and general bad luck to knock his career off course. He remains a good sprinter, it’s just that wins have become a lot harder to come by. However any rider that can win stages in all three Grand Tours must be considered a potential stage winner, particularly in a race like this which lacks the top end sprinters. Although the Garmin-Sharp squad is here ostensibly to support Dan Martin, they have selected a lot of powerful riders who can support a sprinter like Farrar, if he wants to get back to winning ways then he has a great chance to do so in this race.
Jelle Vanendert – Lotto Belisol
Jelle Vanendert has primarily been Lotto Belisol’s Ardennes Classics specialist since the departure of Philippe Gilbert. As with any Ardennes specialist he is a punchy climber who copes well with the short steep slopes, a skill that translates well to this Vuelta course. He has also been the primary support rider for Jurgen Van den Broeck in the Tour de France in recent seasons; In 2011 he was already 11 minutes down on eventual winner Cadel Evans, when his leader Jurgen Van den Broeck withdrew from the race. He still managed to finish 19th overall and won the stage finish on the Plateau de Beille. He has had health issues in 2013, suffering from an intestinal parasite, he now has a clean bill of health and has been racing again though he has yet to show any great form. If he does ride into form at the Vuelta he could contend for a top 10 finish, however he says he will support De Clercq and target stage wins later in the race, when he hopes to start feeling good again.
Roman Kreuziger – Saxo-Tinkoff
Although his excellent 2013 performances have been rewarded with the leaders role at the Vuelta, Kreuziger has said he doesn’t feel he can compete here and wants to try for stage wins instead. It has been a long season for him and his eyes are firmly set on the World Championships so that makes sense. Winning the Amstel Gold Race was a big step for him and seems to have boosted his confidence. If the team do insist on pushing him for the GC he could struggle with fatigue. He rode very hard for Contador in the Tour de France and that came after a busy early season campaign.
Dario Cataldo – Sky Procycling
Cataldo is in his first season with Sky, he is a strong climber and a very good time trialist, with a lot of Grand Tour experience. He has had a muted season, suffering from illness during the Giro, though he soldiered on through it and got stronger towards the end. He will be here primarily in support of Henao, even so Cataldo is certainly capable of riding himself into the top 20 of the GC, he will also be a serious contender to win the ITT on stage 11. He took a memorable stage win in the 2012 Vuelta, after going in a break with Thomas De Gendt, if he is given the freedom to attack in the mountains he could repeat that feat.
Simon Clarke – Orica-GreenEDGE
Having won the Mountains Classification as well as a stage in the 2012 Vuelta, Clarke returns hoping for more stage success. He is an attacking climber and will look to attack on the climbs and try to get into breaks for the true mountain stages. If he does then he should contend for the KoM Jersey once again.
Tony Martin – Omega Pharma-Quick Step
Der Panzerwagen is an elite time trialist and his eyes will be firmly set on trying to win the opening stage team time trial, and presumably take the Red Jersey. Although this wouldn’t be the strongest team of time trialists that OPQS have to offer, the presence of another specialist in Kristof Vandewalle does make them serious contenders to win the stage. The ITT later in the race is less suited to Martin’s skill set but he must still be considered a possible winner. He will work for the team as long as he remains in the race, working on the front of the peloton to help bring things together for the team’s fast men, all the while, building his form to defend his World Championship TT title. Personally I would have taken a different path to the Worlds, one with more flat and less mountains, then again I’m not a hugely successful cyclist.
Thomas De Gendt – Vacansoleil-DCM
De Gendt may be infuriatingly inconsistent, but he can be brilliant and that is exactly the side of De Gendt that the Vacansoleil team hope comes to the fore in the Vuelta. His terrific victory on the Stelvio in the 2012 Giro catapulted him to a 3rd overall finish, showing exactly what he is capable of. He is a strong climber who is at his best from a breakaway or attacking group, look for him to go stage hunting.
Ramon Sinkledam – Argos-Shimano
Argos-Shimano have sent a young team to the Vuelta, hoping to give a chance to some promising talents and also pick up a stage win. As always they will have a strong sprint team and the main beneficiary of that is expected to be 24 year old Ramon Sinkledam. A former winner of the junior Paris-Roubaix, Sinkledam is a strong rider who has generally worked for other sprinters, when he has had the chance to sprint himself he has been competitive. He showed solid form in the recent Arctic Race of Norway, where he led out Nikias Arndt for a stage victory, they are likely to be flexible about which sprinter they use (the others acting as lead out), choosing on terrain and form, but I expect Sinkledam will get his chance to shine.
Gregory Henderson – Lotto Belisol
The veteran New Zealander has long been known as a strong lead out man but he is still a good sprinter in his own right. He is the most likely option for Lotto Belisol in the bunch sprints, though they may also give young Tosh Van der Sande a chance.
Luca Paolini – Katusha
The savvy veteran has been enjoying a renaissance in 2013. He won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, one of the prestigious early season races, before going on to greater success at the Giro, winning a stage and wearing the Maglia Rosa for four days. He is still quite a fast finisher and a strong rider on the short punchy climbs, he could contend for stage wins on the tougher sprint finishes.
Anthony Roux – FDJ
Roux comes into the Vuelta in good form, having just won a stage and the Points Jersey at the Vuelta a Burgos. In addition to the stage win,he had a 2nd place and two 4th place finishes. Those stages largely finished with uphill sprints, or after some hilly sections, and that is the sort of terrain where Roux copes best. Given his form he must be a contender for any uphill sprints in the Vuelta.
Zdenek Stybar – Omega Pharma-Quick Step
Stybar has developed into a strong classics rider, he finished 6th in this year’s Paris-Roubaix, and it would have been higher if not for a collision with a spectator. He has also shown a knack for winning stages, claiming 5 wins in the past two seasons and showing a good sprint. Most of those wins have come on tougher run ins, where cobbles or an uphill finish come in to play. The two most recent came at last week’s Eneco Tour, which he won overall as well. The victory on the famous Muur van Geraardsbergen on stage seven was very impressive. He was able to race clear of the peloton in the closing peloton, joining the sole remaining breakaway rider, Ian Stannard, and staying clear to contest the win. On the Murr, a steep cobbled hill, Stannard attacked but was held in check by Stybar who surged past his exhausted rival to claim the win. He hopes to go for stage wins in the Vuelta and should be a contender for the uphill sprints, he would be very dangerous from a break.
Marco Pinotti – BMC
The veteran time trial specialist will be aiming for success on stage 11, he is a good enough climber to be a strong contender to win it. As befits a time trial specialist he is a very strong rider who does well in the breakaway groups, he copes well on hilly terrain.
Lieuwe Westra – Vacansoleil-DCM
Although Westra has been unable to replicate his 2012 form, he remains a dangerous rider and a potential stage winner. He is an excellent time trialist and a punchy climber on the smaller hills, though he is less at home in the mountains. He is an effective breakaway rider.
Leigh Howard – Orica-GreenEDGE
The 23 year old sprinter could be the Australian team’s option for the obvious bunch sprints. His season was disrupted when he crashed out of the Giro in the first week, he’s had plenty of recovery time before returning to racing at the Tour de Pologne and Vuelta a Burgos. He hasn’t shown much form yet but should be stronger in the Vuelta.
Angel Vicioso – Katusha
Vicioso is a punchy climber with a fast finish. He will be a potential stage winner in the uphill sprints, and can survive relatively tough days, to contest the stage win from a much reduced peloton.
Michel Kreder – Garmin-Sharp
The 26 year old is a decent sprinter who is at his best on tough finishes. He is good on the short, punchy climbs and should be a contender in the uphill sprints that are in this race.
Jan Barta – NetApp-Endura
Barta, 28, is a punchy climber who has stage winning potential; he showed that when winning the 2012 Rund um Koln. Barta is also a strong breakaway rider, he finished 2nd on a mountain top finish in the 2012 Giro, as the remaining breakaway riders managed to hold off the chasing peloton, and contested the stage win between themselves. As a strong time trialist his best chance of a stage win comes in the ITT on stage11.
Pablo Urtasun – Euskaltel-Euskadi
The veteran all-rounder should be a strong support rider for Sanchez on the flatter terrain and will double as the teams sole sprint option. He isn’t fast enough to win from the bunch sprints but he is a punchy climber who can make it to the tougher finishes, where there is less competition for the win. He is also a dangerous rider from a breakaway group. Another rider who needs to impress prospective employers for 2014.
Francesco Lasca – Caja Rural
The 25 year old Italian sprinter will be Caja Rural’s option on the flat sprint stages. In his second season with the Spanish outfit, he has shown he can mix it with some decent sprinters. When he won the 2013 Vuelta Ciclista a La Rioja, a one day race, he beat Michael Matthews and Juan Jose Lobato. He should be competitive in the few bunch sprints that are in this Vuelta.
Reinardt Janse van Rensburg – Argos-Shimano
Reinardt Janse van Rensburg has had a problematic first season with the Dutch team, picking up knocks, and struggling with the unusually cold temperatures. He is the sort of sprinter who comes to the fore on the tougher stages, he can climb well and will likely be a contender for the stages with uphill sprints. He is likely to perform more of a lead out role for the flatter ones.
Geoffrey Soupe – FDJ
The teams designated sprinter for this race, he is more usually seen leading out either of FDJ’s top sprinters, Bouhanni or Demare. Like all good lead out men he has a good sprint himself, he finished 3rd, behind Cavendish and Goss, in a sprint during the 2012 Giro d’Italia. In the absence of the elite sprinters, he will be one of a number of sprinters hoping to take advantage.
Daniel Schorn – NetApp-Endura
The 24 year old sprinter is competing in his second Grand Tour, having debuted in last season’s Giro. He managed two top 10 finishes in that race and will be better for the experience. He hasn’t won in 2013 but his best finish came on the final stage of the Tour of California, when he was second in the sprint, behind Peter Sagan but ahead of some notable names. He may share sprint duties with Zakkari Dempster, with the other acting as a lead out man, but Schorn seems to be the better bet.
Lloyd Mondory – AG2R
The 31 year old is more of a strong man than a fast sprinter, but he managed 3rd and 4th place finishes in last year’s Vuelta a Espana and will hope to do even better this time.
Maximiliano Richeze – Lampre-Merida
The experienced Argentinean sprinter will have the chance to compete for his first Grand Tour stage win, though it will be a tall order for him. He has yet to win for Lampre-Merida, having joined them this season. His best result of the season was a second place finish in stage three of the Eneco Tour. However it wasn’t in a sprint as such, as he found himself ahead of the peloton with Lars Boom and Zdenek Stybar, with 500m to go. You would expect an in form sprinter to beat both men, but he came second. Losing to Stybar on a flat sprint doesn’t bode well for his chances against faster finishers in the Vuelta, though the move did show he was carrying good fitness into the race.
Michael Morkov – Saxo-Tinkoff
The Danish Champion is probably the best option for Saxo-Tinkoff on the flat stages. He could be competitive in a sprint finish after a tough run in, but lacks the speed to compete against the full bunch.
Nick Nuyens – Garmin-Sharp
The classics specialist has had a tough time recovering from a fractured hip sustained early in 2012. It limited his performances throughout the 2012 season and continued to do so well into 2013. However he has been getting stronger and arrives at the Vuelta with some racing in his legs and improving form. He is a good rider to send in a break, particularly in the hilly stages, where he is capable of doing very well on the short punchier climbs and could take a stage win. He hopes to use the three weeks in Spain as a springboard for his winter training, and next year’s Classics campaign.
The Week in Cycling 