Vuelta a España: What to Expect in 2024

The celebrated 2025 Vuelta a España is preparing to commence its 80th edition later this month. As one of the most renowned European Grand Tours, alongside the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España has served as a career milestone for the most elite cyclists in the world.

The race starts in Turin, Italy and requires athletes to navigate a grueling 21 stages before finishing in Madrid Spain. The distance amounts to a jaw-dropping 3,151 kilometers, requiring athletes to set aside several weeks dedicated to the race.

Last year, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe athlete Primož Roglič of Slovenia clinched the victory for the fourth time, while American Team Visma-Lease a Bike cyclist Sepp Kuss won in 2023. Competition is extremely tight each season, often including nail-biting portions in each passing stage.

According to the Vuelta a España website, the race consists of four flat stages, six medium mountain stages, five mountain stages, one individual time trial stage, three hilly stages with high-altitude finales, and two rest days. The course includes the following stage distances, and terrain desription.

One of the most prominent names to compete in the race this year is talented Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard, a Team Visma – Lease a Bike athlete and former Tour de France champion. He will be chasing another Grand Tour victory, and 2025 will mark his third appearance in the famed race.

In 2023, Vingegaard secured a podium win at the Vuelta a España and took second place. This year, we could see a monumental resurgence from him and watch him claim the title. The 28-year-old recently came off the Tour de France, where he reached the podium, making his quick turnaround incredibly impressive.

Missing out on the action will be the 2025 Tour de France victor, Tadej Pogačar. As written in, Pogačar stated, “After such a demanding Tour, we decided it was best to take a break. I have fantastic memories there from 2019, but now the body is telling me to rest.”

With such a wide field of elite athletes competing this year, energy will be radiating throughout each stage of the race. Events kick off on Aug. 23 and will conclude on Sept. 14, leaving little time for the cyclists to prepare. Interested viewers will be able to watch how the race unfolds on NBC and Peacock streaming services.