The 2024 Vuelta a España is the final Grand Tour event of the year in cycling, so it is the last chance for the world’s leading road riders to win one of the biggest prizes in the sport. With the Tour de France and Olympics both taking place this summer, it has been a busy period in the sport. Here is a look at who is in contention to land first place in the general classification of the 2024 Vuelta a España.
Primoz Roglic
Three-time Vuelta a España winner Primoz Roglic is looking to tie the record for the most wins in the Grand Tour event this year. Should he prove successful, he will match the record set by Spaniard Roberto Heras.
@giroditalia 🩷 pic.twitter.com/Tap3HNIhNU
— Primož
Roglič (@rogla) May
29, 2023
Roglic prevailed in the Spanish race in 2019, 2020, and 2021. He did not finish in 2022, while 12 months ago, he was third in the competition won by Sepp Kuss following another big performance.
Unfortunately for Roglic, he was forced to withdraw from the Tour de France this year after stage 12 due to an injury suffered in a crash. He has since recovered from that accident and is expected to be 100% fit in his bid to win a fourth Vuelta a España title.
The Slovenian is the 6/4 favourite across the betting sites UK for the 2024 race. If you are looking to back the former champion, consider one of the leading promotions available ahead of the Grand Tour contest, including a free £50 bet with Betfred and Tote when you place £10.
Enric Mas Nicolau
With three second-place finishes in the Vuelta a España, Enric Mas Nicolau has come very close to getting his hands on the trophy. He was runner-up in 2018, 2021, and 2022, while in 2020 and 2023, he also finished inside the top 10.
The Spaniard was 19th in this year’s Tour de France. He picked up the Combativity award in stage 20 of the Grand Tour competition. Earlier this year, he was fifth overall in the Volta a Catalunya and sixth overall in the Tour de Romandie.
With his experience in the Vuelta a España and his ability to climb during the mountain stages, Mas Nicolau is a big contender to win his maiden Grand Tour title. He is aiming for his first major success since winning the 2022 Giro dell’Emilia.
Adam Yates
UAE Team Emirates rider Adam Yates will be buoyed by an excellent performance in the Tour de France heading into the Vuelta a Espana. He finished sixth in the most prestigious Grand Tour event, securing the fifth top-10 finish of his career.
Yates last raced in the Vuelta a España in 2021 when he was fourth. Since then, he has had success in the Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse. The latter came back in June. He was triumphant in stages five and seven, while he also won the mountain classification.
The 31-year-old is on course for the best season of his career so far. A generation classification victory in Spain would help secure that. The British rider is bidding to match what his twin brother Simon achieved in 2018 by winning the race.
Sepp Kuss
Only two men in the last 20 years have defended their title in the Vuelta a España. Heras achieved that feat in 2005, while Roglic also won three consecutive races between 2019 and 2021.
Sepp Kuss made history by
becoming the first American in a decade to win a Grand Tour, securing victory at the Vuelta
a España after a fierce three-week battle.
Read the full recap on the rest of #Team
USA: https://t.co/DVuxRgKrmM pic.twitter.com/HMhxcLvWuj
— USA
Cycling (@usacycling) S
eptember 27, 2023
Kuss finished with a time of 76 hours, 48 minutes, and 21 seconds in 2023. It was 17 seconds quicker than his Jumbo-Visma teammate Jonas Vingegaard, while Roglic was one minute and eight seconds further back in third place.
The American showed how consistent he was in 2023 by becoming only the second rider in history to win a Grand Tour event and finish all three races in the same calendar year. He was 14th in the 2023 Giro d’Italia, 12th in the 2023 Tour de France, and then he secured first place in Spain.
Kuss should be much fresher this year as he bids to retain his title. He did not feature in either of the two other Grand Tour competitions in 2024. An infection ruled him out of the Tour de France on the eve of the race.
The 2024 Vuelta a España is set to feature a strong field of riders who will begin stage one in Portugal in a time trial. As is tradition, stage 21 will conclude the race in Madrid, with a time trial on the 8th of September.
