The Vuelta 2023 was a spectacular cycling event and the conclusion of a more than impressive season. The 78th edition of the Spanish tour had the capital of Catalonia as its starting point for the second time in its history but also explored the roads of Andorra and France in addition to the Spanish mainland.
Recap of the Vuelta 2023
Sepp Kuss of Jumbo-Visma secured the overall title at the Vuelta a España 2023 in an exciting finale, while Kaden Groves (Alpecin Deceuninck) won the final stage in a surprising breakaway victory. Groves, wearing the Green Jersey, broke away early along with Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quickstep) and Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers). The peloton came close to catching the breakaway group, but Groves managed to stay ahead and claim victory.
Kuss, who was not threatened in the general classification, crossed the finish line together with his teammates Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič to demonstrate team unity. Already in the penultimate stage, the three riders had made an obvious non-aggression pact and crossed the finish line together there as well.
The three riders not only showed outstanding performance during the Vuelta 23, but it was especially noteworthy that all three riders won all three Grand Tours for Jumbo-Visma in 2023, with Vingegaard winning the Tour de France and Roglič winning the Giro d'Italia. The "special trilogy" was celebrated by the team and fans afterwards.
Our Outlook on the Tour: "The Queen of the Mountains Returns"
Mountains are at the heart of La Vuelta, emphasized the director of the tour, Javier Guillén. It's no wonder that out of the 21 stages, ten feature mountain finishes.
The start takes place on August 26 in Barcelona with a team time trial. Catalonia is thoroughly explored in the initial stages, and there is even a first-time detour to Andorra. From Catalonia, over the Pyrenees to Asturias, challenging stages await the riders. The famous Col du Tourmalet, a well-known landmark from the Tour de France, will be the finish of a stage at La Vuelta for the first time. The exciting stages promise a thrilling cycling event leading up to the finale in Madrid.
In addition to the challenging mountains, there are two time trials, including a team time trial and a flat individual time trial, providing further opportunities for spectacular competition.
The Vuelta 2023 brings together the world's top cyclists, including defending champion Remco Evenepoel, Giro d'Italia winner and three-time Vuelta champion Primož Roglič, his teammate and Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, Giro runner-up Geraint Thomas, and other strong competitors. It promises to be an exciting thriller.
Stage 1 (August 26): Barcelona - Barcelona
Distance: 14.6 kilometers (team time trial) | The Vuelta a España 2023 starts in Barcelona with an urban team time trial and a hilly finish in Montjuic Park.
Stage 2 (August 27): Mataro - Barcelona
Distance: 181.3 kilometers | The stage starts in Mataró and finishes again in Barcelona in front of the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.
Stage 3 (August 28): Suria - Arinsal, Andorra
Distance: 158.5 kilometers | The first mountain finish in Andorra takes place in Arinsal, an unprecedented high-mountain finale.
Stage 4 (August 29): Andorra la Vella, Andorra - Tarragona
Distance: 183.4 kilometers | The stage goes from Andorra La Vella to Tarragona, marking the end of the Catalan and Andorran sections of the tour.
Stage 5 (August 30): Morella - Burriana
Distance: 185.7 kilometers | A stage through the Castellón province with hilly terrain and a finish in Burriana.
Stage 6 (August 31): La Vall d’Uixo - Observatorio Astrofisico de Javalambre
Distance: 181.3 kilometers | The stage goes to Teruel and ends with the challenging ascent to the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre.
Stage 7 (September 1): Utiel - Oliva
Distance: 188.8 kilometers | The first flat stage of Vuelta a España 2023 with a finish for sprinters in Oliva.
Stage 8 (September 2): Denia - Xorret de Cati, Costa Blanca Interior
Distance: 164.8 kilometers | The stage ends with a famous climb to Xorret de Cati in the Valencia region.
Stage 9 (September 3): Cartagena - Caravaca de la Cruz
Distance: 180.9 kilometers | A stage through the Murcia region with a challenging finish in Caravaca de la Cruz.
Rest Day (September 4)
Stage 10 (September 5): Valladolid - Valladolid
Distance: 25 kilometers (individual time trial) | A 25-kilometer individual time trial in Valladolid that could impact the overall standings.
Stage 11 (September 6): Lerma - La Laguna Negra, Vinuesa
Distance: 163.2 kilometers | The stage finishes with a summit finish at Laguna Negra in the Soria province.
Stage 12 (September 7): Olvega - Zaragoza
Distance: 165.4 kilometers | The stage goes from Olvega to Zaragoza in Aragon.
Stage 13 (September 8): Formigal, Huesca la Magia - Col du Tourmalet
Distance: 134.7 kilometers | A challenging stage with legendary climbs like the Col du Tourmalet.
Stage 14 (September 9): Sauveterre-de-Bearn - Larra-Belagua
Distance: 161.7 kilometers | The stage ends with a summit finish in Larra-Belagua.
Stage 15 (September 10): Pamplona - Lekunberri
Distance: 156.5 kilometers | A challenging stage with hilly terrain and a finish in Lekunberri.
Rest Day (September 11)
Stage 16 (September 12): Liencres Playa - Bejes
Distance: 119.7 kilometers | A short but intense stage with a finish in Bejes.
Stage 17 (September 13): Ribadesella/Ribeseya - Alto de l’Angliru
Distance: 122.6 kilometers | The stage ends with the notorious and steep climb to Alto de l'Angliru.
Stage 18 (September 14): Pola de Allande - La Cruz de Linares
Distance: 178.9 kilometers | The stage concludes with a summit finish at Puerto de la Cruz de Linares.
Stage 19 (September 15): La Baneza - Iscar
Distance: 177.4 kilometers | A stage through the Castilla y León region with a finish in Iscar.
Stage 20 (September 16): Manzanares El Real - Guadarrama
Distance: 208.4 kilometers | A long and hilly stage with little opportunity for rest.
Stage 21 (September 17): Hipodromo de la Zarzuela - Madrid, Paisaje de la Luz
Distance: 101 kilometers | The final stage of the Vuelta a España 2023 traditionally ends in Madrid with a flat route.
The list of participating riders is as star-studded as rarely before! With the exception of Pogacar, almost all cycling giants are participating in 2023. It is clear that the upcoming winner will have to fight hard for the Maillot Rojo.
Here are the teams and riders worth paying special attention to:
Jumbo Visma
Jumbo Visma is the team to beat. With Jonas Vingegaard, the winner of the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023, and Primož Roglič, three-time La Vuelta winner and winner of the Giro D'Italia 2023, the team is in top form with two very strong riders and an impressive roster depth. The stated goal: to win all three Grand Tours in the same year.
It is still unclear how well Vingegaard will have recovered from his Tour win in France - there is only a short month between the final and the start of the Spanish tour. However, his colleague Roglič skipped the Tour de France for precisely this reason and will be well-prepared to compete.
Soudal Quick-Step
Remco Evenepoel: The 2022 Tour winner from Team Soudal Quick-Step will clearly try to defend his title. The young Belgian is considered a huge talent in cycling and won the Vuelta a España in 2022 with a lead of more than 2 minutes.
2023 was supposed to be his year. A strong performance in the Giro d'Italia secured him the overall lead until a positive COVID test forced him to withdraw. Roglič benefited from this, securing the overall victory in the end. For Evenepoel, it's also a rematch against the Slovenian, for which he has prepared intensively - also skipping the Tour de France to deliver top performances in Spain.
Bora hansgrohe
It has been a tough year for Team Bora hansgrohe. A positive COVID test forced Alexander Vlasov to retire prematurely from the Giro d'Italia. A crash at the Tour de France couldn't completely stop Jai Hindley but prevented a good chance for a podium finish. However, the stage wins and the fighting moments show that there is more potential in the only German team.
Under the leadership of Alexander Vlasov, Bora-hansgrohe aims to prove this potential with at least one podium finish this year. He will be particularly supported by Leonard Kämna, a fan favorite and a wildcard for the team.
Team UAE
Already in spring, Pogacar announced his focus on the Tour de France and the fall one-day races. In his place, Juan Ayuso will lead the United Arab Emirates team. The Spanish cyclist set an impressive record in spring by climbing the Albula Pass in 34 minutes and 35 seconds, surpassing Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong's records by more than 2 and 3 minutes, respectively.
At just 19 years old, Ayuso demonstrated his extraordinary performance and proved his great potential as a promising talent in cycling, despite previous injury setbacks.
Ineos Grenadiers
A strong performance at the Giro d'Italia 23 ended with a second-place finish behind Roglic - a great achievement, but the 2018 Tour de France winner naturally dreamed of the overall victory. For the Ineos Grenadiers, Geraint Thomas is the biggest hope to finally be able to build on past successes at La Vuelta. Despite having excellent riders, the formerly dominant Team Sky has struggled in recent years to leave its mark on cycling. Not only for this reason, the well-prepared Briton will give everything in Spain to ultimately wear the Maillot Rojo.
In this year's tour, the following (automatically qualified) UCI World Teams started:
- AG2R Citroën Team, France
- Alpecin–Deceuninck, Belgium
- Arkéa–Samsic, France
- Astana Qazaqstan Team, Kazakhstan
- Bahrain Victorious, Bahrain
- Bora-Hansgrohe, Germany
- Cofidis, France
- EF Education-EasyPost, USA
- Groupama-FDJ, France
- Ineos Grenadiers, Great Britain
- Jayco–AlUla, Australia
- Jumbo Visma, Netherlands
- Lidl–Trek, USA
- Movistar Team, Spain
- Soudal-QuickStep, Belgium
- Team DSM, Netherlands
- Team Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, Belgium
- UAE Team Emirates, UAE
As well as these non-automatically qualified teams ("Wildcards"):
- Burgos BH, Spain
- Caja Rural–Seguros RGA, Spain
- Lotto DSTNY, Belgium
- Team TotalEnergies, France
Classification Jerseys and Theme Jerseys
The best rider in the overall classification receives the Maillot Rojo – the red jersey, sometimes also called 'el Rojo'. It is one of the most prestigious classification jerseys in cycling worldwide.
The relatively new Young Pro classification is evaluated exactly like the overall classification, but only riders under 25 years old are considered. Remco Evenepoel won both classifications in 2022 and is still young enough to defend both titles.
The Maillot Verde, the green jersey of La Vuelta, primarily rewards stage winners and sprinters: Placings in each stage, as well as intermediate sprints, earn points – and the rider with the most points earns the classification jersey. The Maillot Lunares, the white jersey with blue dots, is for the best climber. And it must be earned with merit: The more challenging and longer the conquered ascent, the more points are awarded.
In addition to the official classification jerseys, the official supplier Santini has also designed theme jerseys that not only provide professional performance in cycling but also incorporate and embody the emotions of the Tour of Spain. All Classification Jerseys and Special Jerseys of La Vuelta 23.
La Vuelta Femenina 2023
The women's edition of the Vuelta took place unusually early: In March, the riders competed for the Red Jersey. The stage to Lagos de Covadonga, in particular, provided a spectacular finale. Demi Vollering (SD Worx) delivered an impressive performance, dominating the final climb. She pulled away from her competitors, securing the stage win and her sixth World Tour victory of the season. Nevertheless, Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) retained the Red Jersey, securing the overall title for the third consecutive time, even though she was dropped by Vollering on this challenging stage.
Van Vleuten's takeover of the overall leader's jersey was controversial on Saturday as her team increased the pace while Vollering and her team took a nature break.
Despite the controversy, the stage to Lagos de Covadonga offered the expected thrills and drama until the finish line, making it a worthy conclusion to the Vuelta Femenina 2023.
