Tour of Spain 2022 | Valverde and Enric Mas lead Movistar; Carlos Rodríguez will debut with a powerful Ineos

Alejandro Valverde, who will bid farewell to competitions on Spanish soil, and Enric Mas, They will be Movistar’s references in the 77th edition of the Tour of Spain that begins next Friday in Utrecht (The Netherlands).

The group chaired by Eusebio Unzué will form, in addition to the ‘Bala’, with Enric Mas, second classified in 2021-, Carlos Verona, José Joaquín Rojas, Nelson Oliveira, Mathias Norsgaard, Gregor Mühlberger and Lluís Mas.

Former world champion Alejandro Valverde, 42, is presenting himself at the Vuelta after competing in Burgos, while Enric Mas hasn’t worn a bib number since the Tour de Francewhere he abandoned after the dispute of the nineteenth stage.

Carlos Rodríguez and Richard Carapaz lead Ineos

The Ineos-Grenadiers team will have a powerful “eight” for the Vuelta a España that includes Richard Carapaz, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Ethan Hayter, Luke Plapp, Carlos Rodríguez, Pavel Sivakov, Ben Turner y Dylan van Baarle.

“Our team for the Vuelta is really exciting; a great combination of experience and youth that will give outstanding results. Having four debutants reinforces the belief that we trust the quality of our young cyclists and we know that will provide fantastic support for Carapaz on his last Grand Tour with us“said Rod Ellingworth, deputy team manager.

Carapaz, 29, a great asset for the British teamwas second in the Giro d’Italia in May and will try to get rid of the thorn in the Spanish round, eclipsed by Primoz Roglic in 2020, also with a second place.

For its part, Carlos Rodriguez The 21-year-old has signed this year four top 5 finishes in the general classification in stage races, as well as the title of the Spanish national road race. His Grand Tour debut promises to be a very special moment for Spanish cycling.

Evenepoel and Alaphilippe, great attractions for the Spanish round

For its part, the line-up of the Quick Step Alpha Vinyl also presents an attractive line-up for the Vuelta, in which the double world champion, the French Julian Alaphilippe, and the Belgian Remco Evenepoel, who has recorded a total of 11 wins so far this season, including Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Belgian, two-time winner of the San Sebastián Classic, will make his first appearance in the Spanish round, after his debut in a Grand at the 2021 Giro.

Stage winner in 2017, Julian Alaphilippe returns to the Vuelta, which will help him prepare for the World Cup in Australia, where he will defend the rainbow jersey. The Belgian formation will be completed Remy Cavagna, Dries Devenyns, Fausto Masnada, Pieter Serry, Ilan Van Wilder y Louis Vervaeke.

The Vuelta a España 2022 will be seen one more year on Eurosport, the House of Cycling, which broadcasts the best cycling races on the UCI calendar. The 77th edition of La Vuelta a España takes place between Friday, August 19 and Sunday, September 11, and you will be able to see all the stages in full and live from the start to the finish line on Eurosport on television and also online in streaming.