La Vuelta España 2022 – Riders preview part 1

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As teams are confirming their riders for the Vuelta Espana 2022, Part 1 of our riders preview will feature the first 12 teams. Part 2 will contain the rest of the teams and include some very interesting predictions…

1: BORA- Hansgrohe 

Even though Alexandr Vlasov will be missing from the band of brothers, the German team looks fierce, initially relying on Sergio Higuita and Giro unlikely winner Jai Hindley to lead the charge as podium candidates for the least. Accompanying them in  the quest is the not so bad Wilco Keldermann, who on his own could easily finish in the top 10 and will definitely be aiming to win a stage. Emmanuel Buchmann is another talented rider who will bolster the rank of the german team.

Jonas Koch is tasked of doing everything else that. From carrying bottle to Tim Declerqing.

Danny Van Poppel and Ryan Mullen are two formidable wagons Sam Bennett’s sprint train. The dutch did a decent job as the team sprint head at the tour. But will there be fatigue.

2: Team Jumbo Visma

Roglic ready for the Vuelta Espana 2022

3 times winner posted this last week, showing that he is most likely going to defend his Red Jersey. But who will accompany the Slovenian?

After missing out on the Tour, Rohann Dennis will be eager to pull and and make everyone suffer up until the highest peak. Robert Gesink will alternate role with Chris Harper on the early slope of climbs. Mike Teunissen and Edouardo Affini might turn out to be one man too much with the same abilities.

Primoz Roglic will indeed benefit more from the best lieutenant in the world , Sepp Kuss and Giro 2022 KOM winner and old guard Sam Oomen.

3: Team Cofidis 

There will be no Ping-Pong this time. As much as he is a star in Spain and loves the Vuelta Guillaume Martin does not seem like he will be at the start. Instead the French team will rely on their Spanish contingency and they are will loaded. Herrada& Herrada are two fine climbers who will looking for stage wins. Thomas Champion, Remy Rochas and Davide Cimolai will be tasked to guiding Bryan Coquard to a sprint stage win. Davide Villella Armée and Rubén Fernandez are marked down too.  Ion Izagirre is the other big name to miss out.

 

4: Ag2r Citroën Team

The cool looking brown shorts team will be lead by the bargain transfer if the decade, Ben 0’Connor. After being second to only Team Jumbo Visma’s duo of Roglic and Vingegaars, the Aussie was a big favourite for a Tour de France podium. Sadly, tragedy struck and he had to abandon. Depending on how healed he is, he could be a potential candidate to the final victory actually. Supporting him will be a host of professional mountain domestique goats in Clement Champoussin, Dorian Godon, and the formidable Nans Peters. After finally putting all his health trouble behind him, Bob Jungels would love to pull something great as a gesture token to the team before leaving for Bora Hansgrohe. Nicolas Prodhomme when allowed will be getting into breakaways while Andrea Vendrame will be the main sprinters and will love it more if it gets punchy. Jaako Hanninen is expected to complete the team.

5: Lotto Soudal

In what could be their last grand tour as a WT team, the Belgian are going all in for stage wins and points. Weirdly, though the decision not to bring either of Arnaud De Lie or Caleb Ewan in the possibility if 6 stage wins is questionable. 35 year old Thomas De Gendt will be showing again how its done in breakaways and another grand tour stage win is very much in the talk. His disciple in  Harm Vanhoucke, Harry Sweeny, Matthew Holmes and Jasper De Buyst, all just need to transit from the breakaway experts to stage winners category. Steff Cras is a new climber on the scene and will be learning where he situated among the best. Maxim Van Gils and Jarrad Drizners are the last numbers of the Lotto.

The De Gendt Classification is sadly very unlikely to be happening in the Vuelta

6: Israel Premier Tech

The team with the most undecided startlist. After pulling out the transfer of the mid season, they double the genius by sending Dylan Teuns to chase UCI point in Canada and other classics. Real master-class  ??
Veteran Micheal Woods and Chris Froome are likely to be a the start will be aiming for stage wins. Patrick Bevin and Daryl Impey are both similar type of finishers and a choice between the two will be made. After Nizzolo’s crash, Rudy Barbier has a great chance of being a the start. The team needs points to stay at WT level and riders like Mads Wuds Schmidt and Alessandro de Marchi are good weapons for those!

Chris Froome has finally been showing some form

7: Team Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Materiaux

Quinten Hermans is a man on a mission. Discarded from the Tour at the last minute for ‘internal reasons’, he had shown an explosive form in the recent Tour de Pologne and will take the Vuelta by storm. Oh but, he is not on the startlist and is planned for the classics instead..

Louis Meintjes and Domenico Pozzovivo are will continue to feed on their youth elixir juice and battle for a top 10. Accompanying them will be the formidable Jan Hirt, who could as well add a stage win in the mountain stages. Simone Petili, Gerben Thijssen, Julius Johansen, Tom Devreint and the experienced Jan Bakelants  have the sole duty to support their climbers.

No ? in Spain

8: Ineos Grenadiers

After a podium finish at the Tour de France 2022, with one of the weakest SkIneos team we have seen, the British powerful will feel encouraged to aim for glory. With no Pogacar and a compromised Roglic, Team Ineos will feel like the boss again. Richard Carapaz is expected to lead the line for one final time for the team. Supporting him will be Carlos Rodriguez and a close to 2020 from Teo Georhegan Hart. Luke Plapp is an excellent all rounder who sadly alternates good and bad days. The departing Dylan Van Baarle is expected to sacrifice himself for one last time. Ethan Hayter will be eyeing for a first debut stage victory in whatever form it comes. Big eyes will also be glanced at the towering young sensation Ben Turner who has been very impressive in the classics.

While recent talks of the possible participation of Egan Bernal has emerged, the best performance for the team could come from inform neo French Pavel Sivakov.

Formula 1 Wow GIF by Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team - Find & Share on GIPHY

What an impressive team indeed!

9: Team Movistar

What can the Spanish team do to salvage themselves from a relegation that looks more and more likely? Sending out their best riders seems their answer.

Alejandro Valverde will want one last big performance before finally retiring at the end of the season. Even though, he has been classified as non leader material yet, Enric Mas can still pull out a podium. Pro active and gaining in confidence is Carlos Verona. All 3 will big responsibilities placed upon their shoulders. Gregor Mühlberger, Nelson Olivera and José Joaquin Rojas will be tasked of bringing some stage success. Completing the squad are Mathias Noorsgard and Lluis Mas who will both be executing the usual unexplainable Movistar power moves.

10: Quick Step Alpha Vinyl Team

Everthing and yet not everything will be about Remco Evenepoel. The cocky Belgian boy has yet to complete a grand tour and Old Pat has made it clear that the wolf pack is dedicated to Remco but he still wants more from Julian Alaphilippe. Back after a horror crash in the spring, the world champion is expected to also bring some stage success as well as protecting Remco. Pieter Serry, Remi Cavagna, Dries Devenys will be the land army while Ilan Van Wilder, Fausto Masnada and Louis Vervaeke will be the mountain men.

11: UAE Team Emirates

Probably the most balanced team of the Vuelta España 2022. They have men to win Men to feature in the GC and win the young jersey; Joao Almeida; Juan Ayuso, Sprint train ( Molano and Ackermann) and riders to succeed on all type of stages ( McNulty, Soler, Jan Polanc and Ivo Olivera)

12: Team Bike Exchange- Jayco

His name is Yates, he is inconsistent and yet he remains a great rider. After a very impressive month, Simon Yates seems pretty confident of a great incoming Vuelta España. Lucas Hamilton, Lawson Craddock, Callum Scotson and Kelland O’brien will helping the twin to achieve his potential. After a great Tour de France where they all but secure their place in next year’s world tour, the Australian comes with less pressure and will rely on Luke Durbridge and Micheal Hepburn to guide Kaden Groves to a stage win.

While awaiting the second part of the preview, you could check out the route of the Vuelta Espana 2022 route.

Check back later for the second part 2 of the riders preview. Don’t forget to follow A LeadOut on Twitter , Instagram and Like on Facebook. 

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