Velogames Preview – Spain 2022

The final grand tour of 2022 is here and it’s shaping up to be a cracking contest! I usually come to write these full of confidence and anticipation, but this race is honestly so hard to read it’s difficult to know where to start. What I can promise you, is three weeks of classic Vuelta ‘rampas’, but only one of them is ‘inhumanas’ (for the uninitiated amongst us, ‘rampas inhumanas’ means ‘inhuman ramps’ referencing the insane nature of some of the Spanish climbs). Also expected are some very interesting grand tour debuts and one not-quite-so-debut. So without further ado, there’s lot’s to cover!

The Route

So first off, this year’s Vuelta is lacking in the humungous mountain stages that dominate the Tour and the Giro. The most amount of climbing in one day is 3990m on stage 15 with the finish in Sierra Nevada. A far cry from the 5000m + Alpine and Pyrenean monstrosities in the other grand tours. This will be more of a test of attacking prowess and time trial ability amongst the strongest climbers rather than a war of attrition. It is still a three week race though and the usual rules apply. Here are the stages that should define the race and will make for the most compelling viewing.

Stage 1: A team time trial in the Dutch city of Utrecht kicks off the race and is the first team time trial in a grand tour since one appeared in both the Vuelta and Tour in 2019.
Stage 4: The first uphill finish of the race. A category 3 climb tops out 14km from the finish leading to a long descent before a kick up in the final kilometre.
Stage 5: This looks to be a really entertaining medium mountain stage. Could be a breakaway, could be set up for some potentially bonkers GC action.
Stage 6: The first big summit finish of the race. A first chance for riders short-changed from the time trial to claw back some time.
Stage 9: The second of a weekend double header of summit finishes and this one is incredible. 4km at an average of 12.9% and a maximum gradient of 24% will cause some burning legs for sure.
Stage 10: A decent size for an individual time trial at 30.9km. Time for the lightweight climbers to lose another couple of minutes.
Stage 15: Three summit finishes headline the second week and this is the grand finale and the utter monster that is the Alto Hoya de la Mora in Sierra Nevada. The is the only ‘Especial’ climb in this year’s race and is 22.3km long and tops out at 2512m elevation.
Stage 20: The last chance for all riders to make their mark on the general classification and try and grab the mythical red jersey. Up and down all day and hopefully we’ll see some long range attacks and crazy racing just like stage 20 last year.

Velogames Category Guide

Now to the main course of this dish and let me tell you, there are so many options here. I don’t believe anyone is essential here, which is exactly what was intended. The only rider who is an instant pick for La Vuelta usually is Roglič, but he’s recovering from the injury he sustained at the Tour, which kicks up a hint of doubt. In addition to the imperious Slovenian, the field is wide open. I honestly have no idea who’s going to win or who’s going to end up on the podium, and I think that makes the race even more rich. Anyway, here are some of my thoughts on rider form and value, and what they might achieve in the final grand tour of the year.

All Rounders

There are some really good options in this category including four pre-race favourites, a few outside bets, and some enticing cheaper options to compliment a more expensive powerhouse pick. Here are the main players.

Primož Roglič, 26 Credits: The winner of the last three editions of the race with 3403 Velogames points in 2021 and 3733 in 2020. The man is made for this race and if his back is healed enough, then a 4th straight title is a distinct possibility. So many stages have his name written all over them and the time trials both suit him.
Remco Evenepoel, 22 Credits: The 22 year old arrives at his second grand tour after a less-than successful outing at the Giro last year. But that was his first race back after his Lombardia injury from the year before. Here, he’s fired up and in amazing form. His GC attempts at world tour level have faltered this year usually after long, steep climbs. He’s much more suited to the punchy efforts and not so much for the long climbing stages. I reckon a chance at a handful of stage wins and a decent showing in GC is achievable here, I don’t agree that he’s one of the main favourites, but I look forward to being pleasantly surprised.
Richard Carapaz, 18 Credits: INEOS team leader and one of the favourites. He looks good value here after 2nd place in 2020 and 2nd place in this year’s Giro. Can he peak twice in one year? He certainly took it fairly easy at the recent Tour de Pologne so his form is a bit unknown. He has a really strong team backing him up, but will one of his teammates outperform him? Probably not, but it’s an interesting conundrum to think about.
João Almeida, 16 Credits: His first outing in La Vuelta after three straight appearances at the Giro d’Italia. He’s on some good form and should be looking for at least one stage win in his quest for the red jersey.
Enric Mas, 14 Credits: He is very capable of a good result at this race, but he’s had a truly dreadful year thanks to crashes and nervous descending. A lot of the stage finishes only going up should help, but has he found enough form since the Tour? I think there are better options.
Rigoberto Urán, 10 Credits: He will be hunting for a decent GC result along with his teammates in the climbers category and Urán will be hoping to finish off his season with a positive result.

The Teammates: Pavel Sivakov and Tao Geoghegan Hart are backing up Carapaz and the former is on some super form after 2nd place at Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa and victory at the Vuelta a Burgos. Alejandro Valverde is lining up in his last Vuelta and he’ll be very motivated for a stage win. Will he be supporting Mas or will Mas be supporting him? Juan Ayuso, Brandon McNulty and Marc Soler are here in support of Almeida, the former is a huge prospect at only 19 years old and has had some very promising results this year. More than capable of a stage win from a break, but also maybe a top 10 overall. Wilco Kelderman is a teammate to a pair of riders in the climbers category, one who is a recent grand tour winner and another on a rich vein of form. Kelderman has done good work in recent grand tours and is often worth his fairly cheap price tag, I’m not sure that will be the case here however. Alexey Lutsenko represents one of Astana’s main hopes of a win here and I hope they prioritise a stage victory over the outside chance of a GC result.

The Honourable Mention: A breakout year for 22 year old Dutchman, Thymen Arensman. The DSM rider enjoyed a promising Giro debut earlier this year, spending nearly the entirety of the final week in the breakaway achieving a 2nd, a 5th, and a further 2nd in the final stage time trial. Is it time for him to announce himself as a real grand tour contender? He’s enjoyed himself at the Vuelta before, often racing in the breakaway. He’s certainly an interesting choice at only 8 credits if you’re looking for a bargain.

Climbers

One expensive option and a whole host of talent under them make this category a glorious minefield once again. So many riders have a possibility of doing well here and dozens of combinations are viable. I’m probably just going to have fun with this category and then see what happens. So pick your favourites, pick the legend hoping for one last hurrah, pick the rider with the coolest name. If you want to go more in depth, then here’s what we know about all these guys.

Jai Hindley, 18 Credits: Earlier this year he built on his 2020 Giro 2nd place by taking home the pink jersey and he looks to be the real deal in challenging for grand tour titles after his difficult 2021. Can he double up and take home the Vuelta crown for the first time?
Simon Yates, 14 Credits: Back again to try and reclaim the red jersey he won in 2018. He was having a great Giro before knee issues cut his race short and three DNF results in his last four grand tours account for his lower price tag this time around. If he stays in the race, then he’s great value and he’s here to win.
Miguel Ángel López, 12 Credits: Oh boy what a year the Colombian has had. Abandoning the Giro after being unable to recover from a hip injury and then being suspended by Astana whilst an investigation for alleged involvement in a drug trafficking ring in Spain was ongoing. That suspension was lifted and he was in good form during the recent Vuelta a Burgos and Astana will desperate for a good race from him, as they’re the only world tour team without a world tour win this year. It’s been a torrid time for them all round.
Sergio Higuita, 12 Credits: He’s had a brilliant year, proving himself as a reliable stage winner and also recording a string of excellent GC results, including victory at the Volta Catalunya. Bora will fancy him to challenge for stage wins on the tough uphill finishes, and a couple of stage wins look more than attainable.
Carlos Rodriguez, 12 Credits: Rewarded for his impressive start to life at INEOS with a spot amongst the big boys. The newly crowned Spanish national champion can absolutely win a stage here and see what’s possible in the general classification. A very enticing prospect, but will his price tag put some people off, and will he just be playing domestique to Carapaz’ ambitions? I certainly hope not.
Julian Alaphilippe, 12 Credits: Back to racing after his horror crash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Quick-Step boss has come out recently saying he wants more from Alaphilippe than just world championship preparation. So I’d expect a stage win from him on the numerous stages that suit him. Alaphilippe and Evenepoel represent an intriguing double act that could be quite entertaining.
Ben O’Connor, 10 Credits: Back down to 10 credits after his unfortunate Tour de France. Can he put that behind him and recapture some of his excellent early season form?
Mikel Landa, 10 Credits: Bahrain announced their team as I was writing this piece and Landa was confirmed as the team leader in their quest for the red jersey. He was back to top grand tour form with 3rd place in the Giro and he’ll be hoping to turn that form into a good result here.

The Teammates: Sepp Kuss is once again here as last support for Roglič in the mountains. 1227 and 1290 Velogames fantasy points in his last two Vuelta editions prove he’s no slouch when it comes to this race. There’s a triple Bahrain threat on 8 credits with Wout Poels, Gino Mäder and Santiago Buitrago supporting Landa. Mäder has been named as co-leader after his 5th place last year and 2nd in this year’s Tour de Romandie. Buitrago is also more than capable of taking a stage here from the breakaway.

The Honourable Mentions: Here are the other interesting riders to choose from this most complicated of categories. Michael Woods will be wanting a good race here after an average year and he’s no stranger to a stage win from this race. Vincenzo Nibali is one of those sentimental picks, but if Astana need stage wins, then I’d be sending him up the road whenever I could. Thibaut Pinot tried his luck in the Tour recording two top 5s in the process and finishing a respectable 15th on GC. Will that fire him up for another stage win here at La Vuelta? Ilan Van Wilder represents Quick-Step’s real outside bet at a top 10 with no pressure on the 22 year old. This is effectively his first grand tour after a first stage DNF in this race two years ago, so he’s a complete unknown. I’m curious to see how he gets on. Finally there’s the triple Intermarché threat of Louis Meintjes, Jan Hirt, and Domenico Pozzovivo. Intermarché have been having a stellar year and three of their best performers line up here to see how they cap it all off. Hugh Carthy and Esteban Chaves are also hunting for a good GC result alongside Urán. The former will be hoping to recapture the form that helped him achieve the podium here two years ago and the latter is at his first grand tour since last year’s Tour de France. Chaves showed some good form earlier in the year at the Critérium du Dauphiné and I’d love to see him back hunting for stages and hanging in the GC fight. Hands down one of my favourite ever riders.

Sprinters

Always the last category to consider in La Vuelta. There are, at most, six sprints in this year’s edition with five being more likely. So my advice would be to not consider a sprinter for your wildcard spot, just predict who amongst this lot will score the most points and leave it at that, if it fits in with your other more important options.

Tim Merlier, 12 Credits: Raced two grand tours, won a stage in each of them, then left before the race was halfway done. I don’t expect him to finish this race and would even two stage wins make him worth the sprinter slot? Not for me.
Mads Pedersen, 12 Credits: The only threat for Pedersen here is himself. He was super motivated for the Tour and it paid off, will he possess the same drive and ambition at this race? Time will tell, but if he does, then he’s a good option.
Sam Bennett, 10 Credits: He is in desperate need of a good race after a disappointing year. 5th at the recent European Championships behind his teammate and leadout man, Danny Van Poppel, who’s 8 credits. The saving grace for Bennett, is he nearly always finishes grand tours and was in the dream team here three years ago.
Pascal Ackerman, 10 Credits: Crashed and injured his hand at the European Championships, but he is fit to start. That injury on top of a mediocre year makes him unpickable for me, especially for 10 credits.
Bryan Coquard, 8 Credits: The first of the interesting slightly cheaper options. He’s had an okay year, but this is his first non-Tour de France grand tour so it’s unknown how he’ll fare. Cofidis are hunting stages though, so with the right support, he might do okay.
Gerben Thijssen, 8 Credits: Thijssen is a really enticing prospect for Intermarché. One world tour sprint win and a host of other promising results make him a good pick. One Vuelta in the bag from 2020 where he just missed out on a win to Pascal Ackermann.
Kaden Groves, 8 Credits: A grand tour debut for the 23 year old Aussie who is certainly a fast sprinter, but maybe yet to show what he’s truly capable of.

The Honourable Mention: If you fancy going completely unhinged for your sprinter pick then look no further than Manuel Peñalver. Only 23, and has contested some sprints with the world tour boys this year and more than held his own. He’s probably not worth huge points, and this is his grand tour debut. But if you fancy only spending 6 credits on a sprinter and want to have some fun, then here is the man for you.

Unclassed

Just the one rider above the rest on the lofty heights of 10 credits and that man is Ethan Hayter of the INEOS Grenadiers. The team have confirmed he will be sprinting here, with a leadout, and he’s more than capable of finishing this race. I’m excited to see what he can achieve on his grand tour debut. It could even be a points jersey, but we might be getting ahead of ourselves. Here are the best of the rest to consider.

8 Credits
Luke Plapp: Hayter’s leadout man on grand tour debut. An excellent rider in the making.
Rohan Dennis: Key man for Roglič in the TTT and throughout the race.
Fausto Masnada: Supporting his teammates more, but may have his own chances.

6 Credits
Nans Peters: Always goes for breakaways and a grand tour stage winner in the past.
Xandro Meurisse: Very attacking rider who can win from the break.
Ángel Madrazo: Has won a stage in the past, but might not have the form.
Roger Adrià: 5th in the Spanish national road race with one win this season.
Bruno Armirail: Snubbed from the Tour, the French national time trial champion will be out for revenge.
Quentin Pacher: Some decent results this year show he’s got the ability.
Jake Stewart: Recently took his first pro win from a sprint, interested to see how he goes.
Ben Turner: Very encouraging first year at world tour level. His grand tour debut.
Dylan Van Baarle: He’s had a brilliant last couple of years at INEOS.
Patrick Bevin: Will potentially be sprinting for Israel-Premier Tech.
Chris Froome: The ultimate sentimental pick.
Daryl Impey: Road captain, but more than capable of a stage win.
Mike Teunissen: I’d love to see him get back to winning ways.
Harry Sweeny: A very likable young man who loves a day in the break.
Maxim Van Gils: Lotto’s man for the mountain breakaways and maybe a GC result.
Rémi Cavagna: Another Quick-Step time trial specialist who’ll be key for Remco and Ilan.
Juan Pedro López: Trek’s GC leader after 10th place in the Giro. Great value!
Fred Wright: Back again after a cracking Tour de France. He was 4th on a stage here two years ago. How tired is he after the Tour though?
John Degenkolb: Another fairly sentimental pick after four stage wins here in 2014.
Nikias Arndt: Could be a good option for DSM in the flatter stages and in breaks.
Rudy Molard: A good showing at the recent Tour de l’Ain, but has never really produced the goods in a grand tour.

4 Credits
Raúl García Pierna: The Spanish national time trial champion at 21 years old.
Vojtěch Řepa: 5th in the Tour of Slovenia and 3rd in the Vuelta a Burgos mountains classification.
Jaakko Hänninen: Like Molard, he was also in good form at the Tour de l’Ain, but he’d need to seriously step it up to be competitive here.
I can’t see many more amazing options at 4 credits, but if anyone else sees someone they fancy then let me know in the comments and I’ll pop in a comment about them. I see too much value elsewhere really to not go for the more proven unclassed prospects.

Finished! And just in time before I head off for work. Maybe EF’s roster will be announced by the time I finish later on (hahaha). No seriously, I’ll update this post when their riders are in, and the other teams are fully updated. If anyone hasn’t yet joined the league the the code is 230268331. You have two days to get your teams in with the deadline at 18:15 CEST (17:15 in the UK) on Friday the 19th. Let me know if I’ve made any glaring errors, but apart from that, happy picking everyone and enjoy the final grand tour of a truly entertaining 2022 season!