The women’s Vuelta a España grows. To its second edition, presented at the Communications Palace in Valencia, it has added one more stage. There will be eight this year, with a spectacular last stage in the mountains of Madrid ending in Valdesqui. “We have tried to make it a short stage and they are going to go hard at the start. There are going to be many cuts. Morcuera is a tough pass,” analyzes Fernando Escartín, the race director.
The race is being born and is still looking for dates on which to consolidate – this year it is held between Sunday, April 28 and Sunday, May 5 – but it has a vocation for permanence and growth. The organization is considering taking it to June in future editions or delaying it until after the World Cup, in October. The return of the pandemic serves as an example that the race can take place normally and without excessive weather problems.
«We thought about separating the women’s Vuelta from the men’s and it was the best decision. This way we can transfer the infrastructure from the men’s event to the women’s event, which is already the second Vuelta in Spain, above many races for competition days and prizes,” explains Escartín. “The policy of the Vuelta is to make stages that are fun, attractive and seen throughout the world as a spectacle,” he adds. And it has also achieved this in the women’s race, with a stage design that means that something can always happen.
Route of the Vuelta a EspañaLa Vuelta
There are 21 teams participating, 13 from the World Tour and 8 continental. And among those 21 jerseys there will be three from Spanish teams, that of Movistar Team, that of Laboral Kutxa and that of Eneicat, the last two in the continental category.
The Vuelta, which this year will not have its last winner, Annemiek van Vleuten, now retired, wanted to pay tribute to the pioneers of Spanish cycling on Women’s Day with the presence of Joane Somarriba and the usual presence of Dori Ruano, the ambassador of the career.
The race will have three high finishes. In addition to the last stage, the fifth and sixth days will include the climbs to Jaca and Laguna Negra.
2024-03-08 13:19:53
#womens #Vuelta #presented #day #racing
