The 77th edition (19 August-11 September) will start from the Netherlands and conclude in Spain’s capital after three arduous weeks.
Next year, Utrecht will become the first city ever to host the start of all three Grand Tours, once La Vuelta will kick off from there with a 23.3km team time trial followed by two stages that the sprinters will love. The Basque Country is back in 2022 and promises plenty of fireworks, including the first of the week’s three uphill finishes.
A 31.1km individual time trial on the coast, from Elche to Alicante, should create some important gaps between the GC contenders, but the pure climbers will have the chance to rebound after this mid-race stage against the clock on the Peñas Blancas, Sierra de la Pandera and Sierra Nevada, all ascents boasting some excruciating double-digit gradient.
The third and final week is going to be a tough and relentless one, as it will feature a combination of new and old climbs that have the potential to shake up the overall standings. After concluding in Galicia this year, the Vuelta a España will now return for its final stage in Madrid, where the sprinters are expected to bring down the curtain over this climb-heavy edition.