Vuelta a Espana, the favorites: Roglic and Lopez front line but there is Carapaz too.

The 74th edition of the famous Vuelta in Espana, the last Grand Tour of the cycling season, will take place on Saturday 24th August from Salinas de Torrevieja with a team time trial. Difficult harshness, sun and Iberian warmth are the main ingredients of a highly competitive and often spectacular race. A lot of differences from Giro and Tour, Vuelta has traditionally shorter and harder climbs, with slopes constantly in double figures. Looking at the list of starters we can see that there are riders of the highest level, especially with regard to the general classification.  In fact we can find the Slovenian Primoz Roglic of Lotto NL Jumbo, who reached the podium at this year’s Giro d’Italia and who will be able to count on excellent climbers such as Steven Kruijswijk (vice captain of the team, ed) and George Bennett, another athlete who when the road goes up it expresses itself at its best; the second name to underline is the one of the Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team), who has prepared this event in his world  best possible way after a disappointing seventh place (with misfortunes included, ndr) at the Corsa Rosa. Pay attention then to the winner of the Giro: the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz Movistar), who presents himself at the start very motivated and confident of his own potential, and that he will be able to count on two luxury “followers” like Nairo Quintana and the world champion Alejandro Valverde.With a view to the top ten, light up to our Fabio Aru (Uae Emirates), author of a good performance at the Tour de France, with a placement in general to the first fifteen obtained with nails and teeth. The Sardinian rider is very ambitious and eager to do well especially in the most demanding stages that the route presents. Eyes on the Colombian Rigoberto Uran (EF Education First), on the British Hugh Carthy, who seems to have made the real qualitative leap that we in the Born To Cycle team expected, Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb), who has already reached the podium here in Spain, the young British Tao Gheoghegan Hart (Team Ineos), author of a discreet Giro d’Italia, Rafal Majka (sixth in the Corsa Rosa) together with the new Italian champion Davide Formolo (Bora Hansgrohe) and the unknown Esteban Chaves ( Mitchelton Scott). In short, many names, twenty-one stages and tears quite ready to come down to the fans once they arrive in Madrid: everything is ready for the last GT of the season. Just sit on the sofa and get ready to enjoy the Vuelta show! (Niccolò Anfosso)