This years La Vuelta set for thrilling showdown with a wide open race

This years La Vuelta should be a thrilling race as some of the big favorites are absent

Simon Yates of Mitchelton-Scott is current champion who won't be defending after three back-to-back Grand Tours have taken their toll on the Brit who has opted for some well-earned rest.

Egan Bernal, Geraint Thomas, Tom Dumoulin, Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali and last year’s second-place finisher Enric Mas are among the superstars that will also be absent from the race, which begins in Torrevieja on Saturday.

That could lead to a thrillingly unpredictable race.

>> 2019 La Vuelta includes eight mountain top finishes and gravel too <<

Primoz Roglic has been named the favourite to win the Vuelta a Espana, however Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez of Astana who podiumed last year returns.

"Expect a fight between Movistar, Jumbo-Visma and Astana for the 2019 Vuelta a España title", says the race organiser Javier Guillén.

Richard Carapaz, current World Champion Alejandro Valverde  and fellow South American Quintana give Movistar a strong squad along with Marc Soler.

Jumbo-Visma leads with Primož Roglic and Steven Kruijswijk, third in the Giro and the Tour respectively, and they also have George Bennett, Robert Gesink and Tony Martin.

Astana will count on Jakob Fuglsang and Miguel Ángel López.

Rigoberto Uran will be the leader of EF Education First's roster for the upcoming Vuelta a España along with American's Tejay van Garderen, Lawson Craddock and Logan Owen among the team's roster.

Team Ineos without their heavy hitters, will see Tao Geoghegan Hart and Wout Poels joint leaders.

The third and final former champion lining up in Torrevieja on Saturday is Fabio Aru, but a long road of recovery since surgery earlier in the season will certainly affect the Italian’s chances of GC aspirations.

Bora-Hansgrohe’s Rafal Majka is a former podium finisher and not to be missed out, especially considering the weaker GC line-up.

Trek-Segafredo is fielding a diverse and robust team who will compete for stage wins. Headlining the team will be 10-time Vuelta stage winner John Degenkolb who will seek to add to his impressive tally.  Alongside him will be fast-man Edward Theuns, climbers Gianluca Brambilla, Peter Stetina, Niklas Eg, and all-rounders Alex Kirsch, Kiel Reijnen, Jacopo Mosca.

Guillén, proud of the race now in its 74th year said, ”the Vuelta is original, unpredictable, since it is difficult to control, and brings fireworks.”

The Vuelta a España gets under way on Saturday with a team time trial in Torrevieja.

You can follow La Vuelta on Gran Fondo Guide with daily live coverage, post race results and video highlights.