2019 Vuelta a Espana Guide: Route, Stage Previews, Start List & How to Watch
The 2019 Tour de France is finished and its youngest winner in over a hundred years is home in Colombia. Now we look forward to the season’s third Grand Tour. The 2019 Vuelta a Espana starts with a team time trial on Saturday the 24th August and concludes three weeks later with a carnival stage into Madrid.
Starting in Torrevieja and contested over 21 stages and 3,272km, here’s what you should know about the 2019 Tour of Spain.
Vuelta a Espana 2019 Route: Stage Previews
Stage 1: Saturday 24th August, Salinas de Torrevieja to Torrevieja, 18km(TTT)
The 2019 Vuelta a Espana starts with an 18km team time trial in the coastal town of Torrevieja.
Stage 2: Sunday 25h August, Benidorm to Calpe, 193km
Benidorm to Calpe may prove to difficult for the pure sprinters, a good day for a late strong break.
Stage 3: Monday 26th August, Cuidad del Juguete to Alicante, 186km
Not a mountain stage but still plenty of climbing. The final 40km of downhill will likely allow the sprinters to stay in contact.
Stage 4: Tuesday 27th August, Cullera to El Puig, 177km
Despite the late Category 3 climb this is the most straightforward sprint stage of the early race.
Stage 5: Wednesday 28th August, L’Eliana to Observatorio Astrofisico de Javalambre, 165.6km
Only five stages in and we get the first summit finish of the race. The finish atop Javalambre will show us who showed up to race early on.
Stage 6: Thursday 29th August, More de Rubielos to Ares del Maestrat, 196.6km
A long day in the saddle at 200km with two Category 3 climbs bookending the stage. A perfect breakaway opportunity.
Stage 7: Friday 30th August, Onda to Mas de la Costa, 182.4km
A flat run into a very bumpy second half to the stage. The finish is atop the difficult climb up Mas de la Costa. GC shakeups could start to show up here.
Stage 8: Saturday 31st August, Valls to Igualada, 168km
With the peloton saving itself for the coming mountain days, this is an ideal stage for another break.
Stage 9: Sunday 1st September, Andorra la Vella to Cortals d’Encamp, 96.6km
Stage 9 is a tour of Andorra and it looks incredible. These short punchy days are redefining the grand tours. Just 97km in length with a Category 1 climb on the steeper side of the Coll de la Gallina. Don’t stop there though, riders will also pack in a pair of Category 2 climbs, a 4km gravel sector and then a Category 1 climb to the finish. Riders will be very ready for the rest day.
Rest day: Monday 2nd September
Stage 10: Tuesday 3rd September, Jurançon to Pau, 36.1km (ITT)
An individual time trial finishing in Pau. A good day to shakeup the GC and add some anxiety to the coming mountain stages.
Stage 11: Wednesday 4th September, Saint Palais to Urdax-Dantxarinea, 169km
A rolling day through Basque Country.
Stage 12: Thursday 5th September, Circuito de Navarra to Bilbao, 175km
Another day of rolling in the north of Spain, from Circuito de Navarra motor track to Bilbao. The three Category 3 climbs near the finish might just give us a hint at who will win the World Championships in Yorkshire.
Stage 13: Friday 6th September, Bilbao to Los Machucos, 167.3km
The 2017 Vuelta strikes again. The 30 percent climb that put Chris Froome in trouble that year is back. GC contenders could take or lose minutes here.
Stage 14: Saturday 7th September, San Vicente de la Barquera to Oviedo, 189km
A day for the sprinters and recovery for the rest.
Stage 15: Sunday 8th September, Tineo to Santuario del Acebo, 159km
A new summit finish atop the Puerto del Acebo.
Stage 16: Monday 9th September, Pravia to Alto de la Cubilla, 155km
Another huge day in the mountains, the final climb up Alto de la Cubilla will be a battle.
Rest day: Tuesday 10th September
Stage 17: Wednesday 11th September, Aranda de Duero to Guadalajara, 199.7km
Another rest day for the peloton and another opportunity for the sprinters.
Stage 18: Thursday 12th September, Colmenar Viejo to Becerril de la Sierra, 180.9km
The final chance for General Classification hopefuls to try a shot at securing the red jersey. Four Category 1 climbs followed by a descent to the finish.
Stage 19: Friday 13th September, Avila to Toledo, 163.4km
A simple enough profile, but don’t miss the 1km of cobblestones to the finish.
Stage 20: Saturday 14th September, Arenas de San Pedro to Plataforma de Gredos, 189km
The Vuelta closes with a bang. Five categorised climbs spread across 189km. Fireworks guaranteed.
Stage 21: Sunday 15th September, Fuenlabrada to Madrid, 105.6km
The final carnival stage. The Vuelta is already over for all but the surviving sprinters.
Vuelta a Espana 2019: Start list
Provisional, things can change before race day
AG2R La Mondiale (FRA)
Alexandre Geniez
Clément Venturini
Pierre Latour
Clément Chevrier
Silvan Dillier
Quentin Jauregui
Dorian Godon
Astana (KAZ)
Miguel Ãngel López
Jakob Fuglsang
Manuele Boaro
Dario Cataldo
Omar Fraile
Gorka Izagirre
Ion Izagirre
Luis Leon Sanchez
Bahrain-Merida (BAH)
Yukiya Arashiro
Phil Bauhaus
Heinrich Haussler
Dylan Teuns
Domen Novak
Mark Padun
Hermann Pernsteiner
Luka Pibernik
Bora-Hansgrohe (GER)
Shane Archbold
Sam Bennett
Jempy Drucker
Davide Formolo
Felix Großschartner
Rafał Majka
Gregor Mühlberger
Pawel Poljanski
CCC Team (POL)
Will Barta
Patrick Bevan
Pawel Bernas
Victor de la Parte
Jonas Koch
Szymon Sajnok
Nathan Van Hooydonck
Francisco Ventoso
Deceuninck-QuickStep (BEL)
Eros Capecchi
Rémi Cavagna
Tim Declercq
Philippe Gilbert
Fabio Jakobsen
James Knox
Maximiliano Richeze
Zdenek Stybar
Dimension Data (RSA)
Edvard Boasson Hagen
Nicholas Dlamini
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier
Ben King
Louis Meintjes
Ben O’Connor
Rasmus Tiller
Jaco Venter
Education First (USA)
Rigoberto Urán
Hugh Carthy
Lawson Craddock
Mitch Docker
Sergio Higuita
Daniel MartÃnez
Logan Owen
Tejay van Garderen
Groupama-FDJ (FRA)
Bruno Armirail
Mickäel Delage
Kilian Frankiny
Tobias Ludvigsson
Steve Morabito
Marc Sarreau
Romain Seigle
Benjamin Thomas
Jumbo-Visma (NED)
Primož RogliÄ
Steven Kruijswijk
George Bennett
Robert Gesink
Lennard Hofstede
Sepp Kuss
Tony Martin
Neilson Powless
Katusha-Alpecin (GER)
Enrico Battaglin
Steff Cras
Matteo Fabbro
Ruben Guerreiro
Pavel Kochetkov
Dani Navarro
Willie Smit
Kuznetsov Viacheslav
Lotto-Soudal (BEL)
Thomas De Gendt
Victor Campenaerts
Tomasz Marczyński
Adam Blythe
Sander Armée
Jelle Wallays
Carl Fredrik Hagen
Tosh Van der Sande
Mitchelton-Scott (AUS)
Esteban Chaves
Sam Bewley
Tsgabu Grmay
Damien Howson
Luka Mezgec
Mikel Nieve
Nick Schultz
Dion Smith
Movistar (ESP)
Nairo Quintana
Alejandro Valverde
Andrey Amador
Jorge Arcas
Richard Carapaz
Imanol Erviti
Nelson Oliveira
Antonio Pedrero
Marc Soler
Team Ineos (GBR)
Owain Doull
Kenny Elissonde
Tao Geoghegan Hart
Sebastian Henao
Vasil Kiryienka
Wout Poels
Salvatore Puccio
Ian Stannard
Team Sunweb (GER)
Nikia Arndt
Wilco Kelderman
Casper Pedersen
Robert Power
Nicolas Roche
Michael Storer
Martijn Tusveld
Max Walscheid
Trek-Segafredo (USA)
John Degenkolb
Edward Theuns
Alex Kirsch
Jacopo Mosca
Gianluca Brambilla
Nikilas Eg
Peter Stetina
Kiel Reijnen
UAE Team Emirates (UAE)
Fabio Aru
Valerio Conti
Fernando Gaviria
Sergio Henao
Marco Marcato
Sebastian Molano
Tadej PogaÄar
Oliviero Troia
Vuelta a Espana Wildcard teams
Burgos-BH (ESP)
Jorge Cubero
Diego Rubio
Ãngel Madrazo
Óscar Cabedo
Jesús Ezquerra
Jetse Bol
Ricardo Vilela
Nuno Bico
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA (ESP)
Alex Aranburu
Cristián RodrÃguez
Jon Aberasturi
Jonathan Lastra
Sergei Chernetski
Domingos Goncalves
Sergio Pardilla
Gonzalo Sorrano
Cofidis (FRA)
Nicolas Edet
Jesús Herrada
Luis Ãngel Maté
Jesper Hansen
Darwin Atapuma
Damien Touze
José Herrada
Mathias Le Turnier
Euskadi Basque Country – Murias (ESP)
Aritz Bagues
Fernando Barceló
Cyril Barthe
Mikel Bizkarra
Mikel Iturria
Óscar RodrÃguez
Hector Saez
Sergio Maitier
There are three former winners on the startlist
Alejandro Valverde (2009), Fabio Aru (2015) and Nairo Quintana (2016) will all start at the Vuelta in 2019. Two of those riders are on the same team. Make of that what you will.
How to Watch the 2019 Vuelta a España
If you’re in the US, livestreaming will be available via Fubo.tv and NBC Sports. In Canada, Flobikes will stream the race live. Eurosport will carry the race in the UK or Europe. Check steephill.tv for more information about region-specific broadcasting.
