Vuelta a España: Everything you need to know about the 79th Tour of Spain

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Start: Lisbon, Portugal

Finish: Madrid, Spain

Total distance: 3,265 km

Stages: 21

Riders: 184

Teams: 23

Defending champion: Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma)

The Vuelta a España, or La Vuelta, is one of cycling's three Grand Tours, along with the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.

Part of the UCI WorldTour, the three-week race is the most prestigious race in Spain and is now in its 79th edition. While it took time for the Vuelta to gain similar footing with the Tour and the Giro, overall victory at the race is a coveted prize that will often see the best riders in cycling go head-to-head to win.

Like the other Grand Tours, the Vuelta is held over 21 individual stages (plus two rest days) with the general classification victory awarded to the rider with the lowest aggregated time at the end of the race. While the colour of the jersey for overall leader has changed numerous times in the race's history, it made the switch from a yellow jersey to a red jersey in 2010 and has remained that way since.

Though the Vuelta is similar in format to the Giro and the Tour, it still holds much of its own identity. The route, which changes every year, in recent editions has been defined by its aggressive amount of climbing, offering very little opportunity for stage wins to sprinters or rouleurs in the way of flat routes and time trials.

The 2023 edition was won by Jumbo-Visma’s Sepp Kuss, with his teammates Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič completing the podium. Kuss will be back on the start line for his team (now Visma-Lease a Bike) in the 2024 edition of the race, and will be hoping to defend his title. However, Primož Roglič, last year’s third placed rider, will also be vying for the red jersey and now he has moved to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, he will have the backing from his whole team to help him do so. But there are plenty of other GC contenders starting the race in Lisbon this August, including Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates), João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), Enric Mas (Movistar), Mikel Landa (Soudal–Quick-Step), and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost).

Vuelta a España 2024 route

The Vuelta a España can always be relied upon to deliver a feast of climbing, and the 2024 route is about as on-brand as the race gets, with a total of nine summit finishes and plenty more mountains besides – music to the ears of the GC contenders. However, not so much for the sprinters of the bunch, who only have one ‘flat’ stage on offer. The organisers have certainly pitched this race squarely at the climbers of the peloton.

For fans of speculator scenic views and epic uphill racing, the Vuelta therefore promises to be a treat, though curiously, the climbs that will define the race are very different to the similarly mountainous 2023 edition. Whereas the Pyrenees formed the cornerstone of last year’s race, this time that mountain range is avoided altogether. Instead, its summits are scattered across the three weeks, with big tests posed everywhere from Extremadura, to Sierra Nevada, to Asturias and finally, Cantabria set to determine the outcome.

Vuelta a España 2024 teams

The Vuelta a España features 23 teams, 18 of which are the UCI World Tour teams, two second division ProTeams, and three wildcards selected by the race organisers.

Alpecin-Deceuninck

Arkéa-B&B Hotels

Astana Qazaqstan

Bahrain-Victorious

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe

Cofidis

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale

EF Education-EasyPost

Groupama-FDJ

Ineos Grenadiers

Intermarché-Wanty

Lidl-Trek

Movistar

Soudal–Quick-Step

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL

Jayco Alula

Visma-Lease a Bike

UAE Team Emirates

Israel-Premier Tech

Lotto Dstny

Equipo Kern Pharma

Euskaltel-Euskadi

MOST VUELTA A ESPAÑA WINS

Four wins: Roberto Herras (Esp)

Three wins: Tony Rominger (Sui), Alberto Contador (Esp), Primož Roglič (Slo)

Two wins: Gustaaf Deloor (Bel), Julián Berrendero (Esp), José Manuel Fuente (Esp), Bernard Hinault (Fra), Pedro Delgado (Esp), Alex Zülle (Sui), Chris Froome (GBr)

RECENT VUELTA A ESPAÑA WINNERS

2023: Sepp Kuss (USA)

2022: Remco Evenepoel (Bel)

2021: Primož Roglič (Slo)

2020: Primož Roglič (Slo)

2019: Primož Roglič (Slo)

2018: Simon Yates (GBr)

2017: Chris Froome (GBr)

2016: Nairo Quintana (Col)

2015: Fabio Aru (Ita)

2014: Alberto Contador (Esp)

2013: Chris Horner (USA)

2012: Alberto Contador (Esp)

2011: Chris Froome (GBr)

2010: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita)

2009: Alejandro Valverde (Esp)

2008: Alberto Contador (Esp)

2007: Denis Menchov (Rus)

2006 Aleksandr Vinokourov (Kaz)

2005: Roberto Herras (Esp)

2004: Roberto Herras (Esp)