On September 6th (stage 7) the riders will hit the big mountains in Andorra and the first horse category climb. This stage also includes a first category-1 climb. The following day another two category-1 climbs and one horse category climb during the stage from Andorra to Pla de Beret, and the ninth stage also counts as a mountain stage even though it ends with a long descent.

The next mountain top finish will be 13th stage – the day after the second rest day – where there's a serious chance to make a difference on the legendary Alto de L'Angrilu climb. The next day stage 14 ends on a category-1 climb - Fuentes de Invierno and after that the GC riders will have to get ready for the final time trial.

19 teams will start at the final grand tour of the season. They will include almost everyone from the ProTour, plus three other guests. Karpin-Galicia with Ezequiel Mosquera, and Andalucía-CajaSur with José Antonio Redondo, will contribute to the national quota after the excellent results they recorded in the 2007 Tour. And the Russian Tinkoff team will add the finishing touches with their already strong team which promises to be even stronger in 2009. The former Saunier Duval team will not take part. The race organisers took back the invitation of the team which races under the name Scott - American Beef after former title sponsor Saunier Duval terminated their sponsor contract with the team after its star rider Riccardo Riccò tested positive during this years Tour de France.

Exciting route, top teams… and almost all the big names of the present and future in national and international cycling. Only defending champ Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and Cadel Evans (Silence - Lotto) will not take part in the Spanish 3 week stage race. The Vuelta begins tomorrow and ends on September 21.

 

 

 

Alberto Contador (Astana) could be on the eve of a historic victory. But the Astana rider knows he has strong rivals who could beat him ath the Vuelta Espana.

 

Contador said: "I am not affraid for the goals of my mission." The 25 year old Spanish rider added: "Sastre and Valverde have to take as much responsibility as I have."

 

Contador is captain of a stong Astana line-up. "I have a super strong team with me and a super tactical Johan Bruyneel is standing behind me. Let them come," Contador said.

 

Contador thinks the race will be decided at the steep Angrilu climb and the mountain time trial. "I don't expect major differences in the Pyrenees. The Rabassa and Pla de Beret were a bit dissapoiting during my reconnaissance."

 

 

Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) says he is not going for the overall win at the Vuelta a Espana. Valverde finshed second and third at previous editions of the 3 week stage race but says "I have not specificly prepared myself for this race. I am going for stage victories."

 

 

Robert Gesink and Oscar Freire will have to bring success for the Dutch Rabobank team. Erik Dekker and Adri van Houwelingen are the sports directors for Rabobank during the Vuelta. Dekker is looking forward to this tour. "The Rabo team has lined up nine motivated riders, who over the past few weeks have shown to be in good shape. Only Oscar [Freire, editor] has not performed that well lately. He indicates he is feeling well, but he might need the first few days to get in shape. On the other hand, Oscar is of course a rider who can deliver when necessary and show unexpected things."

Robert Gesink will debut in a major tour and has immediately been designated captain. According to Erik Dekker this does not necessarily mean there is extra pressure on Gesink's shoulders. "We certainly do not want to pressure him and hopefully he does not feel that way either." He is a very good rider and is in good shape. He has reached a high level and showed a lot in the eighteen months he has been a pro. It should be no surprise then that he is given such a role. And others will keep on eye on him, too. He will not just be given a lead. What I would like to tell him is that he should see it above all as an exciting boy's book."

Unlike in the Tour, Oscar Freire will probably not bring home the point's jersey. Erik Dekker: "It is unlikely he will make it to Madrid. He has never done that and I think the odds are minimal this year, too. He is riding this Vuelta mostly in preparation to the World Championships and to win a stage. That will boost his morale. And he might just win one of the first stages like he did last year. But we as a team do not expect him to be ready that early."

Erik Dekker is pretty clear about the intensity of the tour: "I have obviously been in a few tours myself and they always say all kinds of things about their intensity beforehand. But riding a bike for three straight weeks is always heavy." In a way Dekker has a wait-and-see attitude about this year's Tour of Spain. "We will just have to wait and see what Robert and Oscar are going to do and where they are at. We will then decide if we as a team are going to ride for them, or if some riders can go for their own chances. It is impossible to predict how three weeks of cycling will turn out, especially for Gesink. He has never raced for three straight weeks. But I am confident about this team no matter what!"

Tinkoff

The Tinkoff Credit Systems cycling team has made it's roster selection for the 2008 Vuelta a España beginning August 30 in Granada. Orlando Maini, along side Claudio Cozzi and Dmitri Konishev, will direct the Vuelta squad which will include recent Olympic bronze medalist Mikhail Ignatiev. "Ignatiev is in great condition following his performance at the Olympics in Beijing," explained Maini, "and we are very ambitious concerning potential wins at the Vuelta. Ignatiev, along with Kiryienka, Pedraza, and Petrov are riders in particular that are prepared to challenge for stage wins."