Schlagwort-Archive: Unipublic

La Vuelta – Etappe 2

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Lekunberri, Wednesday, October 21th 2020 – Stage 2 of La Vuelta 2020 saw Marc Soler claim his first Grand Tour stage victory on Movistar Team’s turf, after 151.6km of hard racing. The Spanish outfit turned the race upside down in the last 65km and the Spaniard made the most of the final climb of the day, the Alto de San Miguel de Aralar. Soler set a hard pace in the climb and went on the downhill, while his partners Alejandro Valverde and Enric Mas controlled their rivals. Primoz Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) finished 2nd. He retains La Roja as the overall leader ahead of another explosive stage towards Vinuesa.


Foto: Gerhard Plomitzer

Pamplona – Lekunberri (151,6 km)
1 MARC SOLER (MOVISTAR TEAM) 3:47:04
2 PRIMOŽ ROGLIC (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:19
3 DANIEL MARTIN (ISRAEL START-UP NATION) 0:00:19
4 RICHARD CARAPAZ (INEOS GRENADIERS) 0:00:19
5 ALEJANDRO VALVERDE (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:00:19
6 ENRIC MAS (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:00:19
7 JHOAN ESTEBAN CHAVES (MITCHELTON – SCOTT) 0:00:19
8 HUGH JOHN CARTHY (EF PRO CYCLING) 0:00:19
9 SEPP KUSS (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:19
10 GEORGE BENNETT (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:19
11 ANDREA BAGIOLI (DECEUNINCK – QUICK – STEP) 0:00:58
12 GINO MÄDER (NTT PRO CYCLING TEAM) 0:01:01
13 RUI COSTA (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) 0:01:01
14 DAVID DE LA CRUZ (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) 0:01:01
15 MATTIA CATTANEO (DECEUNINCK – QUICK – STEP) 0:01:01

Gesamtwertung
1 PRIMOŽ ROGLIC (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 8:09:41
2 DANIEL MARTIN (ISRAEL START-UP NATION) 0:00:09
3 RICHARD CARAPAZ (INEOS GRENADIERS) 0:00:11
4 JHOAN ESTEBAN CHAVES (MITCHELTON – SCOTT) 0:00:17
5 ENRIC MAS (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:00:17
6 HUGH JOHN CARTHY (EF PRO CYCLING) 0:00:20
7 SEPP KUSS (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:26
8 GEORGE BENNETT (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:56
9 FELIX GROSSSCHARTNER (BORA – HANSGROHE) 0:00:59
10 MARC SOLER (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:01:04
11 ALEJANDRO VALVERDE (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:01:07
12 ANDREA BAGIOLI (DECEUNINCK – QUICK – STEP) 0:01:46
13 DAVID DE LA CRUZ (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) 0:01:49
14 GORKA IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ASTANA PRO TEAM) 0:01:49
15 MIKEL NIEVE (MITCHELTON – SCOTT) 0:01:49

Top-20 Platzierung für Felix Großschartner nach zermürbender Fahrt auf der 2. Etappe der Vuelta a España

Heute ging es von Pamplona über 151 km hügeliges Terrain und einem steilen Schlussanstieg nach Lekunberri. Nach einigen erfolglosen Fluchtversuchen, konnte sich nach 50 km eine fünfköpfige Gruppe absetzten. Im Anstieg der zweiten Steigung entledigte sich T. Wellens seiner Fluchtkollegen, wurde jedoch nach 20 km wieder gestellt. Dahinter im Feld präsentierte sich BORA – hansgrohe sehr aufmerksam als Movistar das Tempo verschärfte und sich in Folge Lücken im Peloton bildeten. Felix Großschartner gelang es zunächst in die erste größere Gruppe zu kommen, geriet aber im steilen Schlussanstieg in Schwierigkeiten und verlor den Anschluss an die Spitze. Die letzten 20 km waren von Attacken bestimmt und am Ende hängte M. Soler mit einem entscheidenden Solo-Angriff seine Kontrahenten ab, um den Sieg einzufahren. Felix belegte den 18. Platz, und rutschte damit auf den 9. Rang in der Gesamtwertung ab.

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„Es war ein harter und anstrengender Tag mit Seitenwind. Zu Beginn fühlte ich mich schon nicht besonders gut, aber das Team brachte mich im letzten Anstieg in eine gute Position, und ich konnte dort auch mit den Favoriten mithalten. Aber als Soler dann loszog, musste ich zurückfallen und schaffte es in die zweiten Gruppe. Ich hatte am Ende etwas Krämpfe, aber ich bin nicht hier, um den Sieg in der Gesamtwertung zu holen, also ist es nicht so schlimm, wenn ich ein bisschen Zeit verliere. Ich hoffe, dass ich mich jetzt für morgen etwas erholen kann. Danke an das Team für die gute Arbeit heute.“ – Felix Großschartner
„Es war ein zufriedenstellendes Rennen, obwohl es sehr nervös war und auch durch den Wind erschwert wurde. Wir wollten versuchen, dass wir da mit Felix nicht zu viel Zeit verlieren. Wir wussten, dass es am letzten steilen Berg nicht einfach wird. Er ist da auch ganz gut gefahren und kam in der zweiten Gruppe ins Ziel. Die Jungs haben Felix unterwegs gut unterstützt und sind alle sicher ins Ziel gekommen. Deswegen können wir auch mit dem Verlauf des Tages zufrieden sein.“ – Steffen Radochla, Sportlicher Leiter

La Vuelta 20 – Etappe 1

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Arrate.Eibar, Tuesday, October 20th 2020 – Already winner of the 2019 La Vuelta, Primoz Roglič (Team Jumbo-Visma) made the most of the first summit finish of the 2020 edition to claim back La Roja as the overall race leader. The Slovenian star controlled his rivals on the Alto de Arrate and launched a powerful attack with 1km to go to immediately assert his authority on the race. Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) finished second ahead of Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation). This first stage already opened significant gaps, with only eight riders within 10’’ of Roglič.

After his crash Primosz Roglic (SLO) is chasing the front group with the help of his team mates, He made it back to the front group but was lacking power in the finale to keep up with the best. Very unlucky for him, he was a podium candidate.
Foto: Gerhard Plomitzer
Irun – Eibar (173km)
1 PRIMOŽ ROGLIC (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 4:22:34
2 RICHARD CARAPAZ (INEOS GRENADIERS) 0:00:01
3 DANIEL MARTIN (ISRAEL START-UP NATION) 0:00:01
4 JHOAN ESTEBAN CHAVES (MITCHELTON – SCOTT) 0:00:01
5 FELIX GROSSSCHARTNER (BORA – HANSGROHE) 0:00:01
6 ENRIC MAS (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:00:01
7 HUGH JOHN CARTHY (EF PRO CYCLING) 0:00:04
8 SEPP KUSS (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:10
9 GEORGE BENNETT (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:40
10 ANDREA BAGIOLI (DECEUNINCK – QUICK – STEP) 0:00:51
11 ALEJANDRO VALVERDE (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:00:51
12 ROBERT GESINK (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:51
13 GORKA IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ASTANA PRO TEAM) 0:00:51
14 MIKEL NIEVE (MITCHELTON – SCOTT) 0:00:51
15 DAVID DE LA CRUZ (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) 0:00:51
16 TOM DUMOULIN (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:51
17 DAVIDE FORMOLO (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) 0:00:51
18 GUILLAUME MARTIN (COFIDIS) 0:01:08
19 KENNY ELISSONDE (TREK – SEGAFREDO) 0:01:17
20 MARC SOLER (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:01:17

Gesamtwertung
1 PRIMOŽ ROGLIC (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 4:22:24
2 RICHARD CARAPAZ (INEOS GRENADIERS) 0:00:05
3 DANIEL MARTIN (ISRAEL START-UP NATION) 0:00:07
4 JHOAN ESTEBAN CHAVES (MITCHELTON – SCOTT) 0:00:11
5 FELIX GROSSSCHARTNER (BORA – HANSGROHE) 0:00:11
6 ENRIC MAS (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:00:11
7 HUGH JOHN CARTHY (EF PRO CYCLING) 0:00:14
8 SEPP KUSS (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:20
9 GEORGE BENNETT (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:00:50
10 ANDREA BAGIOLI (DECEUNINCK – QUICK – STEP) 0:01:01
11 ALEJANDRO VALVERDE (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:01:01
12 ROBERT GESINK (TEAM JUMBO – VISMA) 0:01:01
13 GORKA IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ASTANA PRO TEAM) 0:01:01
14 MIKEL NIEVE (MITCHELTON – SCOTT) 0:01:01
15 DAVID DE LA CRUZ (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) 0:01:01

Auftakt nach Maß: Felix Großschartner starker Fünfter auf der anspruchsvollen ersten Etappe der Vuelta a España

Die Auftaktetappe der 18-tägigen Spanien-Rundfahrt begann mit einer Kletterpartie im Baskenland. Mit Start in Irùn an der französisch-spanischen Grenze ging es über hügeliges Terrain und vier kategorisierte Anstiege in der zweiten Streckenhälfte. Der 9.9 km lange und im Durchschnitt 7 Prozent steile Alto de Arrate wartete kurz vor dem Ziel und versprach einen spannenden Kampf um das erste Rote Trikot. Eine 5-Mann Gruppe löste sich schon nach wenigen Kilometern, doch das Peloton ließ sie während des Tages nie sehr weit entkommen. Im Feld kontrollierte Movistar das Tempo über weite Strecken, aber auf den letzten 30 km rückte auch BORA – hansgrohe mit an die Spitze des Pelotons und es war schnell um die verbleibenden Ausreißer geschehen. Im vorletzten Anstieg teilte sich das Feld, als Ineos Grenadiers das Tempo vorne anhob. Im steilen Schlussanstieg gerieten auch einige der Favoriten in Schwierigkeiten und mussten abreißen lassen. Als mit nur 5 km S. Kuss attackierte, konterte eine kleine Gruppe um Felix Großschartner. Aber als P. Roglic auf den letzten 500 m angriff, konnte keiner der anderen Fahrer mitziehen und der slowenische Fahrer holte den ersten Etappensieg der diesjährigen Vuelta. Nach einer sehr starken Leistung errang Felix am Ende den 5. Platz.
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„Ich bin sehr zufrieden mit meiner Form, denn ich fühlte mich den ganzen Tag sehr gut. Ich bin etwas enttäuscht über meine Platzierung, denn ich glaube, ich hätte besser abschneiden können. Aber trotzdem, meine Beine waren gut. Natürlich vielen Dank an meine Teamkollegen, denn sie haben mich in eine gute Position gebracht. Am Ende gab es einen starken Angriff von Sepp Kuss und ich bin froh, dass ich da mithalten konnte. Roglic, wie jeder weiß, ist im Moment der stärkste Fahrer und er konnte dann am Ende erfolgreich angreifen. Ich bin aber mit meinem 5. Platz zufrieden. Wir werden in den nächsten Tagen sehen, was wir noch erreichen können und ich hoffe nur, dass meine Beine gut sind.“ – Felix Großschartner
„Die Etappe verlief so, wie wir es uns vorgestellt hatten. Wir wollten Felix unterstützen, vorne in den letzten Berg reinzufahren und das hat super geklappt. Und vor allem Ide und Jay haben da einen tollen Job gemacht, und so konnte Felix die ganze Zeit im Windschatten bleiben. Er ist dann ein gutes Finale gefahren, war immer vorne mit dabei und mit dem 5. Platz sind wir sehr zufrieden. Wir schauen jetzt von Tag zu Tag weiter und hoffen auf diese gute Leistung aufbauen zu können.“ – André Schulze, Sportlicher Leiter

LA VUELTA 20: INFO WITH ONE DAY TO GO

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Key points :

• On the eve of La Vuelta’s 75th edition, defending champion Primoz Roglic spearheads the bunch of 176 riders expected to start from Irun. The Slovenian rider, who has stood on the podium of the last three grand tours he has participated in, shares the leadership of Team Jumbo-Visma with Tom Dumoulin. Amongst the rivals, we reckon names like Richard Carapaz, Chris Froome, Enric Mas, Esteban Chaves or Aleksandr Vlasov.
• Another marquee name in the startlist is Thibaut Pinot, who aims at more modest goals as he wants to enjoy the race and fight for stage wins. Groupama-FDJ’s card for the GC is young Frenchman David Gaudu.
• As for tomorrow’s stage, it will be La Vuelta’s first ever summit finish on an initial race day. Climbers will enjoy the 173 kilometres between Irún and Arrate. Watch out for Alejandro Valverde, the active rider with most stages won on the Spanish grand tour, who already triumphed in this sanctuary back in 2012.


Foto: Gerhard Plomitzer

LA ROJA TO BE AWARDED IN ARRATE
Since the red jersey was first established as the one to distinguish the leader of the overall classification at La Vuelta, 37 different riders have worn La Roja. This year, the first one to earn the right to use it will probably be the climber who triumphs in the Santuario de Arrate, a four-century old sanctuary nearby Eibar that is reached after a 5,3-kilometre climb, and where the finish of the initial stage of La Vuelta 20 will be placed. It’s the first summit finish ever on the first racing day of any edition of La Vuelta. The last time La Vuelta visited Arrate was in 2012: it was the third stage, and Alejandro Valverde beat Joaquim ‘Purito’ Rodríguez right over the finish line. A native from Irun, former cyclist and current DS for EF Education First Juanma Gárate, is an authorised voice to break down the possible outcome we may see on this starting stage of La Vuelta 20. “I think the GC favourites won’t be able to hold any cards close to their chests,” says the winner of the Mont Ventoux stage of the Tour de France 2009. “I expect a 20-strong group to make it together to the finish line. No one will let the race go this early, so gaps won’t be huge.” On this scenario, Alejandro Valverde’s speed can well deliver him victory – and La Roja! “This is a climb I know quite well,” said the 2018 UCI Road World Champion on his team’s press conference. “I’ll ride thinking of my chances, but also on my teammate’s: we ought to ride for the benefit of the team. If any of us wins in Arrate, it would be amazing!”

DEFENDING CHAMPION WITH A HIGH-RANKED LIEUTENANT
Team Jumbo-Visma enters La Vuelta 20 with one of the most powerful line-ups of the race. Last year’s overall winner Primoz Roglic is an obvious contender for the GC, but he is intended to share the leadership of his team with Tom Dumoulin, himself a renowned three-week rider. “It will be the same approach as in the Tour de France,” said Roglic on the team’s press conference. “Tom and I are the designated leaders and we will see who is in better shape as days go by.” Dumoulin already came close to triumphing in the Spanish grand tour back in 2015. “I have some really good memories from La Vuelta,” stated the Dutch cyclist. “I’ve only raced it twice, but on the second one I got two stage wins and I nearly won the GC. I’m happy to be back in Spain.” Build-up hasn’t been ideal for either of the two. “It’s been pretty much non-stop since the season resumed,” said Dumoulin. “After the Tour I went to the Worlds, then to the Ardennaises, so I only could spend two weeks at home to rest and prepare for this race. But it’s been almost the same for everyone.” Roglic delivered a quick analysis of the race route: “The third week is easier than the other two. We will find out from tomorrow, and over the first week, how good we are. The route seems fun as it will be full-on racing all the time, so I hope it will be entertaining to watch us from home.”

CARAPAZ FOR THE WIN, FROOME FOR THE FAREWELL
INEOS Grenadiers is one of the most successful teams in La Vuelta’s recent history. Under its previous incarnation, Team Sky, the British team won nine stages and two editions of the Spanish Grand Tour, both with Chris Froome. This will be quite a particular race for Kenyan-born rider, though, as he is bidding farewell to the team after 11 seasons. “And I’m looking forward to finish my time in INEOS on a high note,” he said on a press conference. “It is a bag of mixed emotions, really, as it’s strange to think I won’t be in INEOS colours in a few months time. I am going to enjoy this race anyway. This year’s won’t be your typical Vuelta, as with a colder weather it will feel as if we were racing in the Pays Basque for three weeks. For me personally I’m going to take these first few days to see where I am in the peloton.” The designated leader of INEOS Grenadiers for La Vuelta 20 is Richard Carapaz, winner of the Giro d’Italia 2019. “It’s been quite a strange season for all of us,” he stated. “I feel really prepared for this race and my motivation is very high. We have a great team to deliver a very good performance, and I want to race for the win. This first week is going to be decisive, and even the first stage will be quite telling of who is going to be fighting for the overall. We are not going to miss the chance of winning this race. Everyone will do his best for the team. I have a high opinion of Chris Froome and I’m sure his experience will be a great asset for us.”

LOW-KEY PINOT
On his fourth participation in La Vuelta, where he has finished twice inside the Top10 of the GC (7th in 2013, 6th in 2018), Thibaut Pinot is going to play quite a different role. After a far from ideal build-up, his goals are more modest than in previous editions of the Spanish grand tour. “I’m not 100% recovered from the back issues I suffered from during the Tour de France,” said the Frenchman today at Groupama-FDJ’s press conference. “It’s getting better, though. I wanted to enter this race because I didn’t want to end my season with that bitter taste the Tour left in my mouth. I hope La Vuelta will put me back on track for a nice winter season. I want to amuse myself as I haven’t done on a cycling race for a long time.” The leader of the French team for the GC will be David Gaudu, an up-and-coming climber. “There won’t be any easy days on the first week, so I’ll have to be in the mix from the very beginning. We bear very good memories of the Tourmalet, where Thibaut [Pinot] won a stage in last year’s Tour de France. I want to be up there already in Arrate, a climb I find suits my characteristics.”

CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA RACING WITH TWO BIG GOALS
The sporting goal of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA in La Vuelta 20 is crystal clear: fighting for a stage victory. The Spanish team hopes this edition of the race will be an open one, helping the chances of the breakaways to make it to the finish line. “Our motto during the build-up has been ‘A río revuelto, ganancia de pescadores’ [Fishermen make their day in troubled waters],” said DS Xabier Muriel this morning on a press conference. “We’ve put together quite a balanced team, with several pure climbers, men for the hilly stages, and a fast sprinter like Jon Aberasturi,” he outlined. There is a second goal in sight for the Spanish outfit, though: #TuCorazónSuma (‘Your Heart Adds Up’). This charity initiative, set up by the team’s main sponsor, aims to raise 2.000€ on every single stage of La Vuelta 20 and donate the money to a project of the NGO Cáritas. “This team has always been sensible to social issues,” explained the team’s vice-president, Ricardo Goñi. “We’ve always tried to support those who need it the most. And this year it is even more important to do it.”
© Unipublic

LA VUELTA 20: UNIPUBLIC-UCI STATEMENT CONCERNING THE TESTING CAMPAIGN CARRIED OUT ON OCTOBER 18TH 2020

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LA VUELTA 20: JOINT UNIPUBLIC-UCI STATEMENT CONCERNING THE TESTING CAMPAIGN CARRIED OUT ON OCTOBER 18TH 2020

In line with the health protocol of La Vuelta, established as part of the the “Rules to be followed for the resumption of the road cycling season in the context of the coronavirus pandemic”, drawn up by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and, in compliance with the measures of the Spanish Health Ministry, all teams (riders and staff) were tested yesterday (October 18th, 2020). The event starts on October 20th.

Besides, all those with accreditations were due to show a negative PCR test conducted within the 5 days preceding the official start of the race in Irun at the time of collecting their badge. As of now, 500 PCR tests have been conducted, with more tests due to be performed today, specially for those riders and team staff joining the level 1 of La Vuelta 20’s race bubble after taking part in the Tour de Flanders. The objective of this testing is to guarantee the health of the race for the riders and accredited personnel.

A total of 498 tests were carried out:

• No rider has tested positive for COVID-19.
• Two team staff members, one from Bahrain-McLaren and the other from Team Sunweb, tested positive for Covid-19; they were referred to their respective team doctors who organized isolation measures and took necessary action, in compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) rules, concerning contact cases.
@Unipublic

VUELTA 20 – Primoz Roglic will wear bib number 1

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Key points :

• The winner of La Vuelta 19, Primoz Roglic, will wear bib number “1” in the official departure of La Vuelta 20 on the 20th of October in Irun.
• Jumbo-Visma will be participating with one of the strongest teams, and with Tom Dumoulin as co-leader along with other favourites including Enric Mas, Thibaut Pinot, Richard Carapaz and Chris Froome.
• Sam Bennett and Pascal Ackermann are the main candidates for sprint victories.

The list of pre-registered participants for the 75th edition of La Vuelta shows that the Tour de France favourites will be coming to Spain, starting with the winner of La Vuelta 19, Slovenian rider Primož Roglič, who was the big favourite to win the Grand Boucle from start to finish, before ceding the yellow jersey to his countryman Tadej Pogacar, in the second-last stage, just 24 hours from the arrival in Paris. He will be leading the Jumbo-Visma team featuring the strongest line-up with Tom Dumoulin as co-leader and his luxury team mates: Robert Gesink, George Bennett and Sepp Kuss. The latter won stage 15 of La Vuelta 19 in the summit of the Acebo Sanctuary.

Nans Peters (AG2R-La Mondiale), Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Pro Team) and Dani Martinez (EF Pro Cycling), winners of mountain stages in the last Tour de France, are also pre-registered in La Vuelta 20, as are the protagonists of the Tour de France’s general classification: Enric Mas (5th), Tom Dumoulin (7th), Damiano Caruso (10th), Guillaume Martin (11th), Alejandro Valverde (12th), Richard Carapaz (13th) and Sepp Kuss (15th). For most of them, La Vuelta is a new chance to improve on this season’s performances.

La Vuelta is also a good opportunity to make amends for the frustrations they encountered during the Tour: Thibaut Pinot and his compatriot David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott) and David de La Cruz (UAE Team Emirates), who began injured and ended up becoming one of the most valued collaborators of the final winner, Tadej Pogacar. The Tour de France revelation had already made an impression in last year’s edition of La Vuelta (3rd in the general classification and winner of three mountain stages).

Michael Woods (EF Pro Cycling) is feeling positive: 8th in the Tirreno-Adriático (and a stage win), 3rd in La Flèche Wallone and 7th in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The winner at the Balcón de Bizkaia summit in 2018 arrives fresh for La Vuelta, a race he particularly enjoys. Among those pre-registered are also great stage hunters such as Dylan Teuns (Bahrain-McLaren), leader for one day in La Vuelta 19, Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) and young prodigies such Andrea Bagioli and Mauri Vansevenant (Deceuninck-Quick Step).

There are two stars among the pre-registered sprinters: Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quick Step), the man who dethroned Peter Sagan in the battle for the green jersey in the Tour de France, and Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe), winner of the points classification in the Giro 2019, during his very first participation in a Grand Tour. Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates), Matteo Moschetti (Trek-Segafredo) and Magnus Cort (Astana Pro Team) are among the candidates to challenge the supremacy of these two sprinters.
@Unipublic

PUEBLA DE SANABRIA AND SALAMANCA JOIN THE LA VUELTA 20 ROUTE

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Puebla de Sanabria and Salamanca will take over from Porto. Mastosinhos and Viseu as the hosts of stages 15 and 16 of La Vuelta 20, respectively. Puebla de Sanabria will be the finish-line of stage 15, with a departure from Mos. Salamanca will host the departure of stage 16, with the finish-line in Ciudad Rodrigo and the entire day taking place within the Province of Salamanca.
Due to the exceptional circumstances caused by the COVID-19 global health crisis and, following the impossibility of hosting La Vuelta 20 in Portugal under the best possible conditions, Unipublic has reconfigured the race’s route, replacing the two Portuguese host cities by Spanish ones.
Stage 15 (5/11) will depart from the Galician town of Mos and will find its finish-line in the Zamoran municipality of Puebla de Sanabria, replacing Porto. Matosinhos. On the other hand, Salamanca will be the departure point for stage 16 (6/11), replacing the Portuguese locality of Viseu, in a stage that will maintain its finish-line in Ciudad Rodrigo.
Puebla de Sanabria and Salamanca already have La Vuelta experience. The Zamoran locality was the finish-line for stage 7 in La Vuelta 16, where victory went to Belgian rider Jonas van Genechten. Salamanca has hosted 21 La Vuelta stage departures, the most recent one being in 2018 (stage 10), leaving from its Plaza Mayor (Main Plaza), and providing an iconic image in the history of La Vuelta.
TWO VERY DEMANDING STAGES
These changes will not only affect the host cities but also the stage profiles. Stage 15 will now become the edition’s longest stage, spanning over 234,6 km. “Judging by the type of route and by the length of the stage, it will be a favourable day for escapes to take place”, explained Fernando Escartín, Technical Director of La Vuelta. “It is a winding terrain and it’ll be difficult for the peloton to control those breakaways. Besides, contrary to what happened in 2016, this time Puebla de Sanabria will feature in the final week of the race, meaning teams will have much less energy”.
In the 16th stage, the third-last day of racing, Escartín focuses on the climb of El Robledo (Casares): “A 1st category climb 30 km from the finish-line will create a natural selection of the peloton. It is likely that a reduced group, made up of 30-40 riders, will arrive together. The riders fighting for GC will have to really concentrate, as a mistake so close to the end could cost them dearly”, he warns.

La Vuelta 20 will take place from the 20th October to the 8th of November

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• La Vuelta 20 will take off from the Basque Country on Tuesday, the 20th of October – with the stage Irun – Arrate. Eibar – and will arrive in Madrid on Sunday, the 8th of November.
• Following the cancellation of La Vuelta 20’s official departure, originally going to be held in the Netherlands, Unipublic made the decision not to replace the first three stages, and consequently informed the UCI in the aim that the cycling regulatory body would be able to reorganise the calendar with a Vuelta consisting of 20 days, instead of the original 23.
• La Vuelta will take place one month after the Tour de France and three weeks after the UCI Road World Championships.

La Vuelta 20 has new dates, following today’s official announcement by the International Cycling Union (UCI). The Spanish tour will take off with the Irun – Arrate. Eibar stage on Tuesday the 20th of October, and will conclude in Madrid on Sunday, the 8th of November.

Due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19, Unipublic, organiser of La Vuelta, made the decision to cancel and not replace the official departure which was to take place in the provinces of Utrecht and North Brabant (Netherlands). Taking this into account, the UCI has reorganised the cycling calendar by exceptionally including a Vuelta with 18 stages, instead of the usual 21. This is a unique event as, since its 1986 edition, La Vuelta has always featured, at least, 21 days of competition.

The Director of La Vuelta, Javier Guillén, has highlighted his “satisfaction” with the new dates. “We have to try to turn this necessity into a virtue and to make the most of the opportunities available to us as a result of this new paradigm. We have a great position in the calendar and we hope to have an exceptional participation level”, emphasised Guillén.
La Vuelta will take place one month after the Tour de France (29th of August – 20th of September) and three weeks after the UCI Road World Championships in Switzerland (20th – 27th of September).

THE LATEST VUELTA
With these changes, La Vuelta 20 will be the latest edition in its history. Originally (1935) held during the months of April, May and June, Unipublic made the decision to move it to the end of summer in 1995. Up until now, its 2001 edition held the record for being the latest in the calendar. That year, the Spanish tour began on the 8th of September with an individual time trial in Salamanca and concluded with a linear stage in Madrid on the 30th of September.
More information about La Vuelta : www.lavuelta.com

Following the official announcement of the revised 2020 calendar for the UCI World Tour season, and having discussed with the world governing body of cycling the participation rules for UCI World Tour races; the organizers of La Vuelta have chosen the teams that will take part in the 75th edition of the Spanish Grand Tour. La Vuelta 20 will start on Tuesday the 20th of October and finish on Sunday the 8th of November, from Irún to Madrid.

In accordance with UCI rules, the following 19 UCI World Teams are automatically invited to the race:

AG2R La Mondiale (FRA)
Astana Pro Team (KAZ)
Bahrain – McLaren (BHR)
Bora – Hansgrohe (GER)
CCC Team (POL)
Cofidis (FRA)
Deceuninck – Quick – Step (BEL)
EF Pro Cycling (USA)
Groupama – FDJ (FRA)
Israel Start-Up Nation (ISR)
Lotto Soudal (BEL)
Mitchelton – Scott (AUS)
Movistar Team (ESP)
NTT Pro Cycling Team (RSA)
Team Ineos (GBR)
Team Jumbo – Visma (NED)
Team Sunweb (GER)
Trek – Segafredo (USA)
UAE Team Emirates (UAE)

Furthermore, the Total Direct Energie Team, leader in the 2019 classification of UCI Pro Teams will take part by right in La Vuelta 20.

In addition to these 20 teams, the organizers have awarded the following wildcards:

Burgos – BH (ESP)
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA (ESP)

@ASO/Unipublic

La Vuelta 20 will consist of 18 stages and will take off from the Basque Country

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Key points:

• La Vuelta 20 will take off from the Basque Country with the stage Irun – Arrate. Eibar – and will end up in Madrid.
• Following the cancellation of La Vuelta 20’s official departure, originally going to be held in the Netherlands, Unipublic has decided not to replace the first three stages, and has consequently informed the UCI and the RFEC (Royal Federation of Spanish Cycling) in the aim that the cycling regulatory body would be able to reorganise the calendar with a Vuelta consisting of 20 days, instead of the original 23.
• With this new configuration, the 75th edition of La Vuelta will be a historical one. 18 stages in total: the first one in the Basque Country, almost five decades later.

The La Vuelta organisation, in accordance with the UCI (International Cycling Union), agreed to delay the race’s 75th edition. La Vuelta 20 was originally going to take place from the 14th of August to the 6th of September, departing from the Netherlands. However, the necessary reorganisation of the annual cycling calendar, due to the global health crisis caused by COVID-19, has forced these plans to change. In the end, La Vuelta 20 – whose new dates haven’t been determinate by the UCI yet – will consist of 18 stages and will take off from the Basque Country.

Following the official cancelation of La Vuelta 20’s official departure from the Netherlands, Unipublic, as the race organiser, has decided not to replace the three first stages – which were going to travel through the Dutch regions of Utrecht and North Brabant – and instead begin the Spanish tour with the Irun – Arrate. Eibar stage. This is what has been communicated to the UCI in the aim that the cycling regulatory body could be able to reorganise the calendar with a Vuelta consisting of 20 days, instead of the original 23.
This decision has been motivated by the exceptional situation brought about by the health crisis currently affecting every industry, including sports. “Obviously, when you design the race, you hope to never have to make changes of this magnitude, but we have to be sensible with the current situation and we have to accept that it is very difficult to replace an official departure at this late stage, given all the institutional and logistic planning that it involves”, stated Javier Guillén, Director of La Vuelta.

A HISTORICAL EDITION
With its new configuration, La Vuelta’s 75th edition will be a historical race in many aspects. It will be the first time in the past 35 years that it consists of fewer than 21 stages. The last time this happened was in 1985, with an edition featuring 19 stages. It will also be the first time since Unipublic took over control of the race in 1979 that La Vuelta will take off from the Basque Country. It has been almost five decades since Euskadi last hosted the race’s official departure. In 1961, La Vuelta took off from San Sebastián, with a team time trial featuring both the starting-line and finish-line in the city.
“To have that passion for cycling that is so present in the Basque Country from the very first day makes this change in plans much more pleasant”, added Guillén. “In any case, we only hope that this unprecedented health crisis is resolved soon, that we can all return to normal, including La Vuelta – that will again consist of its traditional format and duration of 21 stages and two rest days in 2021”, he concluded.
More information about La Vuelta : www.lavuelta.com
@Unipublic/ASO

The official departure of La Vuelta 20 from The Netherlands is cancelled

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Key points:

• The official departure of La Vuelta 20 that was going to take place in the Dutch regions of Utrecht and North Brabant is cancelled.
• The exceptional worldwide situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the organising committee of La Vuelta Holanda and Unipublic to cancel the official departure.
• Both parties are already working towards resuming the La Vuelta official departure from the Netherlands project, using the year 2022 as a potential start date.

La Vuelta 20 will not take off from the Netherlands. Due to the exceptional situation caused by the COVID-19 crisis, the organising committee of La Vuelta Holanda has been forced to cancel the official departure of the race from the Dutch regions of Utrecht and North Brabant.
The local organisation committee and Unipublic have been forced to make this decision as a result of the reorganisation of the 2020 cycling calendar announced by the UCI (International Cycling Union) on the 15th of April and due to the measures that have recently been implemented by the Dutch government forbidding the celebration of sporting events until the 1st of September. All of this now places the celebration of La Vuelta after the Cycling World Championships and not during its original dates (14th of August – 6th of September).

Despite both parties’ wishes to try to maintain the official departure from Utrecht, it has not been possible to find a new date in which to hold said project, given the new constraints. “The departure of La Vuelta 20 from Holland was a project that had been designed as a big summer party. Faced with the impossibility of ensuring the planned development of the race’s official departure, with all of the required guarantees for an event of these characteristics, La Vuelta Holanda has preferred to request the official departure’s cancellation”, they have stated.

La Vuelta Holanda Director, Martijn van Hulsteijn: „It is clear that there is great disappointment in Utrecht, Breda, ’s-Hertogenbosch and the provinces of Utrecht and Noord-Brabant. We were ready to organize a fantastic event in the weekend of the 14th, 15th and 16th of August. Since we heard of the change in the UCI calendar, we have discussed with all parties to find out if the start in the autumn would be possible, but it turned out to be too difficult of an assignment. Moving three stages, on three days, through 34 municipalities with start and finish places in various places turned out to be a bridge too far. For example, we did not have all the needed infrastructures at our disposal. In addition, a lot of road works were carried out around the 34 participating municipalities in the autumn. The impact would be too great. Even if you leave the desirability and uncertainty in Corona time out of the discussion“.

Jan van Zanen, mayor of Utrecht, on behalf of the three cities and two provinces involved in the organization of the official start: „We were all looking forward to celebrate a Spanish fiesta in all the participating municipalities. But it turns out not be technically feasible and we have concluded there is too much uncertainty about the development of the coronavirus. A huge disappointment, but health comes first.”

“The change to the calendar resulted in a modification of the original program. We discussed this with our Dutch partners, with whom we have worked in absolute harmony and in complete collaboration. We realised that it would be impossible to carry out this project under these new constraints”, explained the General Director of Unipublic, Javier Guillén. “It is a complicated decision, one you never want to make, but which we have found ourselves compelled to do due to the complex circumstances we are currently living, which surpass any foreseeable expectation”, he added.
LA VUELTA 22 ON THE HORIZON
Unipublic and La Vuelta Holanda are working on the possibility of the Netherlands hosting the official departure in the very near future. The first potential start date being discussed for the country to host the La Vuelta departure is 2022, but with no certainties. In this sense, Javier Guillén has insisted that resuming the departure from Holland is “a priority” for the organisation. “We have seen so much enthusiasm and a very high degree of involvement. It is a pleasure to work like this. The very least we can do is to begin exploring the possibility of departing from the Netherlands in the near future, and we trust that we will be able to do so as soon as possible”, he specified.

More information about La Vuelta : www.lavuelta.com
@Unipublic/ASO

LA VUELTA 20: THE 75th EDITION ROUTE

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This Tuesday, the Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel hosted the official presentation of the La Vuelta 20 route. This will be a very special year for the Spanish grand tour as it celebrates its 75th edition. La Vuelta 20 will take off from The Netherlands on the 14th of August, with a first stage taking place entirely in Utrecht (TTT); and will end in Madrid on the 6th of September. With a top level audience, and 11 winners of La Vuelta among them, some of the best riders of the peloton such as Alejandro Valverde, Nairo Quintana, Miguel Ángel López, Miguel Indurain have discovered the course of the next edition of La Vuelta.

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On Tuesday the 17th of December, Unipublic presented the route of La Vuelta 20, that will take place between the 14th of August and the 6th of September 2020. For the fourth time in its history, the Spanish grand tour will start abroad. The peloton will depart from The Netherlands, a territory that is already familiar to La Vuelta, as it celebrated an official departure from Assen in 2009. On this occasion, Utrecht, ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Breda will be the cities in charge of signalling the start of the race.

Following the first rest day, back on Spanish territory, the race will recommence from a place that is very special to cycling: the Basque Country. Basque fans will fill the roads for a stage taking place entirely in Guipúzcoa. Later, the peloton will pass through the Chartered Community of Navarra, Soria, Zaragoza and Huesca, before crossing the border yet again for an iconic stage finale at the Col du Tourmalet, in the French Pyrenees.

A second rest day will allow the riders to recover before an extremely demanding second week that will take place in the Northern half of the peninsula. Back in the Basque Country, the race will continue on through Álava, La Rioja, Burgos, Palencia, Cantabria and Asturias. The Principality has been offering us the best cycling spectacles for years and 2020 will be no exception. Two La Vuelta icons will test the peloton over two consecutive days with high-altitude finales in Alto de La Farrapona and in Alto de L’Angliru.

During its last week, the race will take place in the peninsula’s West, with two entire stages and one departure held in Galicia, including an individual time trial with a finale in the beautiful Mirador de Ézaro. A Galician adventure that will cross the four provinces of the autonomous community in just three days. Our return to the peninsula’s centre will take the most direct route: through Portugal, that will host a finish-line (Porto. Matosinhos) and a stage departure from Viseu. Salamanca will be the cherry on top with a final stage in La Covatilla that will precede the final procession in Madrid.

75TH EDITION OF LA VUELTA

84 years and 74 editions have passed since the departure of the very first edition of La Vuelta, in 1935 (85 years ago). “The race has undergone many transformations throughout its history, but I would go as far as to say that we are currently in our best moment. We have built a real personality for the race, characterised for its spectacular and unpredictable nature as well as for its innovative and daring spirit. 74 editions under our belt that show just how hard we’ve worked to get where we are today”, said Javier Guillén, General Director of La Vuelta.

THE MOST INTERNATIONAL EDITION OF LA VUELTA

The 75th edition of La Vuelta will be very special due to its anniversary year, but also due to its official departure from The Netherlands, only the fourth time in La Vuelta’s history that it begins abroad. “I can think of few places better than Holland to celebrate a cycling anniversary. It is a territory that lives and breathes for cycling. That said, for the 2020 edition, we wanted to do something extra special and ended up designing the race’s most international route in its long history. We will visit four countries: Holland, Spain, France and Portugal, thus becoming one of the most relevant European sporting events in 2020”, concluded Guillén.

CONTINENTAL AND UNIPUBLIC ADVOCATE FOR THE PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE BETWEEN CYCLISTS AND DRIVERS

Allgemein,

 On the occasion of the World Day in Memory of the Victims of Road Traffic Accidents, Continental and La Vuelta, in the company of representatives from the DGT’s National Road Safety Observatory, the Scarponi Foundation and the Stop Accidentes Foundation, have raised awareness and debated the need and the importance of educating both cyclists and drivers about safety.
 According to DGT data, the total number of cyclists involved in accidents with victims was 7598 in 2018.
 This event is part of Continental’s initiative ‘Distánciate’, that features the support of Unipublic and whose aim is to reduce the number of road accident fatalities.
Continental and La Vuelta have discussed road safety today in Madrid on the occasion of the World Day in Memory of the Victims of Road Traffic Accidents. During a round-table discussion, attendees debated and raised awareness regarding the need to educate both cyclists and drivers about road safety in order to guarantee a better coexistence between the two, thus improving their mobility during the race.

The event is part of the ‘Distánciate’ initiative that Continental, with the support of Unipublic, organiser of La Vuelta, presented last year with the aim to considerably reduce the road accident death toll. Although the numbers have improved with regards to 2017 according to the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), in 2018 the data continues to be alarming, as the total number of cyclists involved in accidents with victims was 7598. The urgent need to deal with road safety was what led to the creation of ‘Distánciate’, in order to raise road safety awareness among all road users, to develop good practice guidelines, improve the coexistence between cyclists and drivers and contribute to the reduction of road accident fatalities.

The round-table discussion was moderated by Óscar Pereiro, ex-cyclist – Tour de France winner and Ambassador for Continental and La Vuelta– and participants included Jorge Cajal, Communications Director for Continental Tires España; Marco Scarponi, brother of Michele Scarponi, representing Fundación Scarponi; Álvaro Gómez, Director of the DGT’s National Road Safety Observatory; Fernando Muñoz, Vice-President of the Stop Accidentes Foundation; and Martín Giacchetta, amateur cyclist.
Álvaro Gómez, Director of the DGT’s National Road Safety Observatory, began the discussion by pointing out that the bicycle “is an economic, healthy and sustainable mode of transport”, and that it is “a priority for everyone to make it safe”. “The latest data shows that the increase in bicycle use has not resulted in an increase in cyclist deaths. In order to make sure it stays that way, local governments must be responsible for creating friendly, peaceful cities”. He also mentioned the National Bicycle Strategy, created through a consultation process involving administrations and companies within the sector.
During the event, the role of brands in the prevention of road accidents was also emphasised. In the case of Continental, Jorge Cajal, Director of Communications for the company, explained that “Continental has equipped the majority of high-level UCI World Tour teams for many years. Our bicycle tires have earned the recognition of professionals and amateurs alike worldwide and we would like for that renowned excellence in the cycling sector to spread to other vehicles as well. We have to keep in mind that tires are the main active safety element that enable accident prevention when well-maintained. In the case of cycling, bike users are generally more aware of safety, but we have to remember that almost all of them are drivers too”.
Martín Giacchetta, amateur cyclist, added that “it is not a question of having more laws to keep us safe. I would suggest educating young children at school: a civic education program that teaches them to respect the choices of others. Responsible driving should be taught in school, in order to create more respectful, aware and educated drivers later on”. Fernando Muñoz, Vice-President of the Stop Accidentes Foundation, agreed and also argued that “education is essential for everything and, of course, also for road safety. It should be implemented in such a way so that it is addressed in all subjects”. He added that it is important for everyone to be involved from a personal point of view, meaning that “all of us, as individual citizens, have to assume our responsibility in avoiding road accidents and respect the rules so that we may share the common space, whether we are a pedestrian, a driver or a passenger”.
Óscar Pereiro, concluded the event with a reflection. “These types of events are essential for raising awareness and preventing accidents. At a time when cyclists and drivers seem to be at war, we must focus on mutual respect and collaboration in order to avoid unnecessary accidents”. Along the same principle, Marco Scarponi wished to remind us of his brother Michele, a cyclist who won the Giro d’Italia 2011 and died in a road accident in 2017. He explained that “It is important to remember that we are not talking about bicycles and cars, but about people. When we don’t respect the security distance or drive above the speed limit, we are risking the life of someone with parents, siblings, friends and children”.
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