Mikel Landa is ready to lead the Wolfpack at his home race.
Portugal hosts the start of the Spanish Grand Tour for the second time in the race’s history after the 1997 edition, but unlike 27 years ago, when the sprinters were in the spotlight at the end of the opening stage, the time trialists will now be the ones fighting for the win and the first leader’s jersey. From there, the peloton will take on a relentless 3300km course that is set to conclude in Madrid, where the victor of the 79th edition will be crowned following another individual time trial.
Once again, the route of the season’s last three-week race will be heavily tilted towards the climbers, who’ll have a total of ten uphill finishes, many of them boosting leg-sapping, punishing double-digit gradients: Pico de Villuercas, Alto de las Abejas, Sierra de Cazorla, Hazallanas, Manzaneda, Puerto de Ancares, Cuitu Negru, Lagos de Covadonga, Alto de Moncalvillo and Picon Blanco.
One of the best Spanish climbers of this century, Mikel Landa headlines Soudal Quick-Step’s line-up for La Vuelta, which he will race for the seventh time in his career. It will be the 21st Grand Tour appearance for the 34-year-old, who comes to the start after a remarkable Tour de France, a race where he took an impressive fifth place while playing a major role in Remco Evenepoel’s podium finish.
Joining Mikel in Lisbon will be former Ronde van Vlaanderen winner Kasper Asgreen, Mattia Cattaneo, James Knox, neo-pro William Junior Lecerf – who is making his Grand Tour debut – Casper Pedersen, Mauri Vansevenant and Louis Vervaeke.
“We want to do a good Vuelta, a race we like a lot and where we had a lot of success in the past, winning the GC and dozens of stages. We go there with a strong, motivated and experienced team led by Mikel, who is really looking forward to it. He’s had a great season so far and will rely on a solid squad, capable of supporting him in the mountains, but also on the flat. The route is incredibly hard, which is not a surprise, but we are confident in our chances of scoring some good results”, explained sports director Iljo Keisse.
Keep an eye on our social media channels and website on Thursday for a special announcement!
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
