Seven Key Stages of the 2022 Vuelta a Espana
This year's La Vuelta looks very tough with no less than nine high altitude finishes and sweltering temperatures. Could this be the hardest Grand Tour this year? Here's our guide to the key stages
The 2022 edition of the Vuelta a España which will be the 77th edition of the race and will take place in the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. This year's La Vuelta starts in the Netherlands for the opening three stages and a transition day before reaching Spain.
Top favorites to win this year's race include Remco Evenepoel, Jai Hindley, Joao Almeida, Richard Carapaz, Simon Yates and Enric Mas with winner of the last three editions, Primoz Roglic, not 100% confirmed after his crash at the Tour de France. Local hero Alejandro Valverde is retiring afterwards, so victory for him would be an emotional one for Spanish cycling fans.
Stage 1 is an inaugural time trial longer than that of previous editions. 23.3 km that will cross Utrecht through its wide avenues, without technical difficulties. No significant differences are expected among the leading teams.
Stage 2 and 3 are fairly flat and are suited to the fastmen looking to grab a sprint victory. Dutch fans, who are truly passionate about cycling, will guarantee spectator success.
The race hits home soil in the Basque country, with two medium mountain stages that will no doubt delight Basque cycling fans on stages 4 and 5 and won't suit the pure sprinters.
Stage 6 - Bilbao to Pico Jano. San Miguel
Thursday August 25th - 180 km Mtn Finish
A stage where a breakaway is likely to go and could survive until the end. The first summit finish will come in Cantabria with Pico Jano.
The succession of Las Alisas and the Collada de Bremes will create a natural selection before arriving at the 1st category summit finish atop Pico Jano. This long, stretched out, unprecedented mountain pass may leave one of the favourites behind if his strength fails him.
This will be a key moment for the GC contenders, who can't afford to lose any time.
Stage 8 - La Pola Llaviana to Colláu Fancuaya
Saturday August 27th - 154.5 km Mtn Finish
This year, the Asturias region hosts two very different stages.
Stage 8 features over 3300 metres of climbing with four climbs before the unprecedented ascent of the brutal 1st category climb of Colláu Fancuaya.
Another key stage for the GC contenders who'll need to be in contention on the final climb.
Stage 9 is an extremely tough stage to conclude the first week of racing. Riders will climb four mountain passes before arriving at Les Praeres, the 1st category Mirador del Fito being one of them along the way. The finale will take place at the Nava summit last used in 2018. A steep wall – short and very explosive – made up of four kilometres that will measure the strongest riders’ true abilities.
Stage 10 - Elche to Alicante
Tuesday August 30th - 31.1 km ITT
The Individual Time Trial comes after the first rest day, which could disrupt the form after a week of hard racing.
Completely flat spanning over 30 km, the GC favourites should not have any great difficulties, but top climbers could struggle. Particular care will have to be taken during the final part, along the Levante coastline, where strong winds may be problematic.
Another key stage for the GC favorites who wil have to put in a good performance not to lose time, we should see the first indication of who is going well by the end of the stage.
The Murcia and Andalusia regions feature in the second week. Stage 11 is a day for sprinters to put their teams to work. The stage features some steep slopes but no notable difficulties, so a mass arrival to the finish-line is expected. The wind may play a very important role in Cabo de Gata.
Stage 12 - Salobreña to Peñas Blancas. Estepona
Thursday September 1st - 195.5 km Med Mtn
The peloton covers all of the Province of Málaga, from one end to the other. A completely flat stage until the final climb of Peñas Blancas.
Having featured in La Vuelta before, it is 20 km long and a very tough finale that may make important changes in the GC standings.
Stage 13 to Montilla is one for the sprinters whose teams will have to work hard in order to control the arrival at the finish-line.
Stage 14 to Sierra de La Pandera starts off gentle into constant climbs. If a breakaway is not successful, it will be full gas before arriving at La Pandera, a La Vuelta classic, is tougher than it looks, along a narrow road and on rough pavement. It will really test the climbers.
Stage 15 - Martos to Sierra Nevada
Sunday September 4th - 148.1 km Mtn Finish
A pure mountain stage, with over 4,000 metres of climbing.
Starting from the Province of Jaén, the heat will, undoubtedly, play an important role. The second half is very tough, with climbs up the Alto del Purche and the Hoya de la Mora – a long, demanding mountain pass last used in 2017.
Sierra Nevada is a 1st Hors Categorie climb that goes higher than 2,000 metres above sea level, where altitude becomes a real factor.
Factor in the 35+ degree heat on the climb and 40+ in the valleys in the Andalucia region, the previous two tough mountain stages in three day, it has the potential for a major mountain battle, perhaps the biggest of the entire race.
Stage 18 - Trujillo to Alto del Piornal
Thursday September 8th- 191.7 km Mtn Finish
A very tough and beautiful stage, with a brutal finish that features the climb of the Piornal three times, first uo the Desesperá, then up the Monastery of Yuste and lastly up the Hervás Valley.
This will be a day for the GC favourites and their teams to work on their strategies if they want to shake up the overall classification.
Stage 20 - Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada
Saturday September 10th - 175.5 km Mtn Finish
You may remember the stage where Fabio Aru was announced the winner of La Vuelta 2015. This one is very similar. A classic route along the Guadarrama Mountain Range, with climbs up the Morcuera and Canencia mountain passes and two laps of Navacerrada.
Teams will prepare their battle strategies from the onset and make this stage a decisive one for the general classification.
