Vuelta a Burgos 2017 – Overall Preview

By David Hunter

This is a cracking race, one that allows riders a final tune up before they head off to La Vuelta. The organisers usually provide something for everyone, but this is really a race for climbers to test their legs.

Route

Stage 1

Uphill sprint alert! This is something that the organisers are famous for. It is a stage that Carlos Barbero will be looking forward to.

Stage 2

A straight forward day for the bunch, ending in a bunch sprint.

Stage 3

The third stage sees the start of the GC battle, thanks to a brutal mountaintop finish. The climb is 8.5km at 9%, a true test of climbing ability.

Stage 4

Another uphill sprint, it’s what the organisers are famous for!

Stage 5

The usual finish to Lagunas De Neila. Last year it was Sergio Pardilla taking a massive win, who will win here in 2017?

Contenders

Peter Kennaugh – the Englishman impressed here in 2016, eventually finishing 5th overall, just 11 seconds behind Contador. After another year of non-selection for the Tour, he arrives looking to impressive. Already a winner on Alpe d’Huez, this season, he certainly starts the race as one of the big favourites.

Mikel Landa – Giro, Tour, San Sebastian. When will Landa start to feel tired? Rumours are, he is on his way to Movistar. That being the case, it will be interesting to see his role in this race. The best climber in the race, will he be free to race? Will he be tired?

Pieter Weening – spends most of his time chasing breakaway success, but in a race like this, he’ll be fighting it out with the GC riders. He looked good in the Tour of Austria, finishing 3rd in a stage and winning the KOM jersey. A candidate for a solid top 10 result in Burgos.

David De La Cruz – the man with the ever growing reputation. I have a huge amount of time for De La Cruz, a climber that has yet to reach his peak. After illness ruined any chance in the Tour de Suisse, he will be looking for a big result in this race. Riding for QuickStep is always an advantage and I think he has a good chance of making the overall podium.

Ruben Fernandez – the end of 2017 is going to be huge for the Spaniard. After having his progression carefully managed, it is now time for him to deliver with some big results. This race is preparation for the Vuelta, but he would still like a good overall performance. Fernandez is a huge talent!

Aldemar Reyes – speaking of talent, this little Colombian is another to watch. Riding for Manzana Postobon, he has mainly been targeting KOM titles in 2017. A hugely talented 22 year old, he should have his eyes on a good overall ride in Burgos, time to focus on the big prize, not chase the smaller ones.

Delio Fernandez – after a hugely impressive 2nd place in Austria, he arrives with a real chance of taking a huge result for Delko Marseille. A very experienced pro, he will hope for a place in the top 5.

Igor Anton – I love Igor Anton! There you go, I said it. The man is pure class, a true mountain goat. He will be hoping for a good performance here, before he heads off to the Vuelta. Now 34 years old, I’d love to see him roll back the clock.

Sergio Pardilla – took a brilliant stage win here in 2016, and finished 3rd on GC. He’s had a relatively quiet season, no doubt saving all of his energy for the month of August. He was impressive in the Vuelta in 2016 and would dearly love to find that form again.

Arnold Jeannesson – the big Frenchman seems to bounce around the French teams, he’s with his 3rd in the last three seasons. His time with Fortuneo has not been good, with many DNFs this season. He really is a good climber, hopefully he can have a decent race.

Sergey Chernetsky – the Astana man arrives here after an impressive performance in San Sebastian. His 14th position was his best result of the season, a year where his move to Astana hasn’t been a huge success. The team will be expecting better from him, especially if he wants to earn a new deal for 2018. On his day, he can climb with the best, we shall see what form he has.

Prediction Time

With three of the biggest teams in the world racing, it really should be a battle between Sky, Movistar and QuickStep. Given current form, it has to be a win for Mikel Landa.

David Hunter

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