Vuelta a Andalucía 2019 – Overall Preview
By David Hunter
The block of racing in Spain continues with the 65thedition of Ruta del Sol. The roads in Andalucía are rarely flat, something which shines through in the route.
Stage 1
The opening stage ends with the climb to Icalá de los Gazules, which was introduced to the race in 2018. This brutal wall features some rough cobbled sections and Tim Wellens won ahead of Mikel Landa. The climb is around 1.2km at 10.8%, but this does include a flat section. Given the lack of bonus seconds, it does make this stage incredibly important for those riders expected to lose time in the time trial.
Stage 2
Possibly the only stage for the sprints, but saying that, it does feature a grind up to the finishing line, the final 5.6km rises at 2.7%. The gradients aren’t going to scare the sprinters, but it does make the closing stages hard to control and we could see a surprise winner.
Stage 3
The individual time trial, but not a standard route for the riders. We have climbing sections and some incredibly fast descents, before finishing in La Guardia de Jaén with 1.5km at 8.5%. This is a huge day in the GC battle, the climber with the best time could well win the overall.
Stage 4
The Queen stage and it looks like the organisers are going all “grand tours” on us and making it just 120km. It features the usual climbs of Alto del Purche and Alto de Hazallanas, with the final climb cresting with 23.5km left in the day. That descent will offer the opportunity for a regroupment and a reduced sprint in Granada, but that’s not a guarantee.
Stage 5
On paper, a sprint stage, but not in reality. The final climb is only category 3, but it is a leg breaker. If any sprinter survives this, they deserve a medal! The time gaps between the GC riders will still be small and this will mean they hit the climb hard and blow the bunch to pieces. With 30km until the finish, it does give riders a chance of getting back before the sprint, but I doubt it.
Contenders
Tim Wellens– the defending champion always starts the season well. He was 5th, 2ndand 1stin Mallorca, but had to pull out of Bessèges after getting ill. Now fully recovered, he’ll be looking forward to starting the race with the climb he won last year. Last year’s route didn’t have the big climbing stage, this will be a worry for him and his team. Can Wellens survive Alto de Hazallanas? This is a big ask, especially as the stage is very short and designed for fireworks. He’ll be among the best in the opening stage and the TT, but that will mean nothing if he gets dropped on the big climbs.
Ion Izagirre– already has a win to his name, with a big success in Valenciana. The Basque rider built that win around a strong TT, something he’ll hope to repeat in Andalucía. Astana have started off the season in brilliant form and they arrive in the South of Spain with an embarrassment of riches. Word on the street is that Astana have a new TT bike, let’s just say it’s long overdue. This will now allow their riders to challenge for TTs, which also allows them to challenge for GC. Izagirre will try to limit his losses in the opening stage, before taking the overall lead in the TT. If he manages to do so, he can ride defensively for the rest of the week.
Pello Bilbao– see above! On paper, Bilbao isn’t as good in a TT as Izagirre, but it’s close. His 3rdplace in Valenciana was a sign of a good Winter and he followed that up with a stage win in Murcia. Always a hugely talented rider, there are signs that Bilbao is about to shine at the top level of cycling. He’s a strong second option for Astana, but so is Luis Leon Sanchez and Jakob Fulglsang!
Adam Yates– his stage win in Valenciana was a reminder of just how good he is on steep slopes. He’ll be looking towards the opening stage with eager anticipation, it’s a climb he should do well on. His problem won’t be the climbs, but the TT. If Adam wants to challenge for the overall he needs to do much better than his 43rdplace in the Valenciana ITT. Time trials have never been his strong point, but it’s a discipline his brother has been able to improve, I would expect Adam to do the same. Astana arrive with a strong team, but so do Mitchelton-Scott, I expect some fireworks.
Dylan Teuns– he performed well, on debut, in Valenciana, especially his 4thplace in the time trial. The Belgian is another who’ll be looking forward to the opening stage and will expect to be challenging for the win. In the past I would have been worried about him in the Queen stage, but 2018 saw huge improvements in the mountains and Teuns should be able to follow the very best on Alto de Hazallanas.
Steven Kruijswijk– season debut for square shoulder Steve. 2018 saw him return to the top table of cycling, finishing 5thin the Tour and 4thin the Vuelta, quite an achievement. He is a rider who normally takes some time to find his form and I don’t expect him to be winning the GC, but I do think we’ll see a lot of him during the Queen stage and TT. Both of these stages are perfect opportunities to test his legs.
Sergio Higuita– the young Colombian has seriously impressed in the opening weeks of the season. Despite riding for the continental team, Fundación Euskadi, he’s managed four top 10 finishes from just eight races. Not only that but he also won the white jersey in Valenciana and he’ll be hoping for a repeat in Andalucía. His talent hasn’t gone unnoticed as he already has a contract to join EF Education First at the end of the season.
Astana v Mitchelton-Scott
It feels strange to be talking about these two teams in a Spanish race, but both arrive with ridiculously talented squads.
Astana : Izagirre, Bilbao, Sánchez, Fuglsang, Cataldo, Zeits and De Vresse.
Mitchelton- Scott: Adam Yates, Simon Yates, Haig, Chaves, Nieve, Trentin and Affini.
Both squads are dripping with climbing talent and will expect to be challenging for all stages and the GC. Astana have started the season like a house on fire, particularly this group of riders. Their superior TT skills should give them an advantage in this race, but things could get very tactically in the Queen stage.
Prediction Time
The TT will be very important, but the other stages do offer hope to those who aren’t the best against the clock. Saying that, if Ion Izagirre delivers another outstanding TT he’ll be very difficult to beat and I think we’ll see him continue Astana’s winning streak.
David Hunter
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