And another bike spectacle I like and seeing it and would to see it again. As I do locally now, when on vacation by Cuenca last year we saw it coming into the town on the 7th stage. The whole family was with me and it was great. My dear late wife Martine, father’s side family are very much into cycling and do follow the tour de France for years, I actually began following it with them and then it spilled over the Vuelta.
The 2018 edition is coming up and would like to tell you about it briefly.
The La Vuelta de España (Spain) or simply La Vuelta (the Lap) is a professional race of road cycling contested throughout the Spanish geography. It is held between the end of August and the beginning of September and belongs to the UCI WorldTour calendar, the highest category of professional racers.
The Vuelta was first disputed in 1935. Since its creation, the race has been suspended four times: from 1937 to 1940 due to the Spanish Civil War, from 1943 to 1944 due to WWII and the bad economic situation of Spain, in 1949 and from 1951 to 1954. It is the last and youngest of the well-known “great laps” of cycling, next to the Tour de France and the Giro d’italia. With four wins (2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005), Roberto Heras is the most prized runner in the race. The Vuelta in the 1970’s begain in 1970 with the triumph of Luis Ocaña, who was already consolidated in the International platoon as one of the great figures of cycling. José Manuel Fuente, with his triumphs in 1972 and 1974, became the third cyclist who managed to win two laps to Spain. A few years later, Bernard Hinault repeated the feat. In 1973 Eddy Merckx managed to win the Vuelta and did so in a sweeping way winning six stages and all the individual ratings except for the mountain, in which he finished second. In the 1980’s the main dominator of the Vuelta was Pedro Delgado with two victories (1985 and 1989), a second place and two thirds. In 2008, the winner was the Spaniard Alberto Contador, winner that same year of the Giro d’italia, and thus became the first Spaniard to win the three great laps. He won again in 2012. and again in 2014. The first Vuelta was in 1935 with 14 stages and 3431 km ; by country the most wins have been by Spain 32, France 9, Belgium 7, Italy 6, and Switzerland 5.
The 2018 Vuelta will have 21 stages to complete a total of 3,254 km . Beginning in Malaga, on August 25th, and final in Madrid, on September 16th. There will be six plain and two level stages with a high end, six mountain stages, five half-mountain stages and two individual time-trial stages. 46 Mountain ports and two days rest. The official departure of the Vuelta 2018 will be the 30th visit of the Spanish Vuelta to Malaga city. The first was in 1936, second edition of the Vuelta, with a departure and a goal towards Granada and Sevilla, respectively.
The stages and pictorials photos to follow individually, happy race
Stage 1: Málaga-Málaga, 8 km. CRI level (August 25), just a warm up!
Stage 2: Marbella-Caminito del Rey, 163.5 km. Plain (26 August)
Stage 3: Mijas-Alahurín de la Torre, 178 km. Half-Mountain (27 August)
Stage 4: Vélez-Málaga-Alfácar (Sierra de la Alfaguara), 161 km. Half-Mountain (28 August)
Stage 5: Granada-Roquetas del Mar, 188 km. Half-Mountain (August 29)
Stage 6: Huércal-Overa-San Javier. Mar Meno, 155 km. Plain (30 August)
Stage 7: Port-Lumbreras-Pozo Alcón. 185 km. Level (31st August)
Stage 8: Linares-Almadén, 195 km. Trowel (1 September)
Stage 9: Talavera de la Reina-la Covatilla, 200 km. Mountain (September 2)
Etage 10: Salamanca – Fermoselle-Bermillo de Sayago, 177 km. plain (4 September)
Etage 11: Mombuey – Ribeira Sacra. Luintra, 207 km. Half Mountain (5 September)
Stage 12: Mondoñedo. Faro de Estaca de Bares. Mañó, 181 kilometers. Half-Mountain (September 6)
Stage 13: Candás-Carreño-Valle de Knowo. La Campero, 174 km. Mountain. (September 7th)
Stage 14: Cistierna-Les Praeres. Nava, 171 km. Mountain (September 8)
Stage 15: Ribera de Arriba-Lagos de Covadonga. 178 km. Mountain (9 September)
Stage 16: Santillana del Mar-Torrelavega, 32 km. Individual time trial (11 September)
Stage 17: Getxo-Balcon de Bizkaia, 157 km. Half-Mountain (September 12)
Stage 18: Ejea de los Caballeros-Lleida, 186 km. Plain (September 13)
Stage 19: Lleida-Andorra. Naturlandia, 154 km. Level with end in high (September 14)
Stage 20: Andorra. Escaldes-Engordany-Coll de la Gallina. Sanctuary of Canolich. Mountain (15 September)
Stage 21: Alcorcón-Madrid, 100 km. Plain (September 16) Final
There you , enjoy as much as we do and if you are there let me see some pictures please.
The above pictorials was taken from my fav sports magazine in Spain AS, more here: AS on the Vuelta 2018
The official webpage for the Vuelta in English/French/Spanish is here: La Vuelta 2018
I had to tell you an anecdote on Ejea de los Caballeros in Aragon, back in 1990 I was traveling there with my girlfriend (later wife) and we were on her VW Golf driving, the gas/petrol tank was almost empty and this is in the middle of barren lands almost like a desert nothing in sight, I though well there is always a first to walk the road to find gasoline!!! She told me her VW was very economical on gas/petrol and so it was, we made it alright to get the road back to France. Never again with a not full tank of gasoline to take a trip! Enjoy it , and remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 