2009 Vuelta a España  - 64th Edition of the Tour of Spain Course
Tour of Spain Course Preview: The Vuelta makes a 4 day sojourn in Holland before moving for the final two weeks to Spain to a traditional Madrid finish. A challenging and Epic Parcours.

This past Wednesday the parcours of the 64th edition of the Vuelta a Espana was announced. The race will run from the 29th August  opening with a time trial in Assen, Netherlands and finish on the 20th September when it will make its triumphant return to Madrid with a final 110 km jaunt Rivas after covering a total of approximately  3,281kilometers.

2009 Vuelta a España  © 2008 Unipublic, S.A.
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Once again the Vuelta presents a demanding and balanced parcours with 10 flat stages for the sprinters and 8 days for the mountain goats to display their anti-gravity talents with most of the climbing  coming in the second week. To summarize the climbing menu this year, the 2009 course boasts: 5 summit finishes; 3 - Hors Category, 10 Cat. 1climbs,16 - Cat. 2 climbs,19 -  Cat. 3 climbs and 4 - Cat 4. The time trial specialists have 3 contests with 60.5 total kilometers to weigh in and take minutes from their rivals.

Netherlands Start
click on photo for larger image - © 2008 Unipublic, S.A.
For the first time in 12 years the Vuelta starts in the north  with a 4 stage sojourn in  Holland with The race opens with an individual time trial of 4.5km around Assen to choose the first wearer of the golden fleece of race leader.

The next three stages will test the roads most familiar to us from the northern classics including climbs of the Cauberg on the fourth stage finishing in Leige, Belgium before a rest/transition stage as the riders move to Tarragona for stage 5.

New cities joining the Vuelta roster for 2009 are: In the Netherlands: Stages 1 & 2: Assen ,Emmen and Stage 3 & 4: Venlo to Liege,Belgium. In Spain Stage 6 Xátiva hosts a circuit race; and the Stage 12 mountain top finish on the Alto de Velefique

The first 4 days in the Netherlands should provide the sprinters and Classic specialists opportunities to attempt to take the gold jersey off the shoulders  of  the winner of  stage 1 time trial in Assen where the flat profile favors the prologue specialists. It could be the winner just might hold onto the gold jersey of race leader until the transfer to Spain after the Vuelta's longest stage (224 kilometers) finishes in Liege, Belgium.

Arriving inTarragona, there are two more days  for the breakaway specialists to duel with the sprinters teams to see who will arrive at the finish line first. sure to provide a dynamic and exciting first week. The design of these stages that encourage the adventurers in the peloton to strike out for Spanish gold. The first week ends with a 30 km individual time trial where the favorites will look to gain valuable seconds on the climbers before the annual mountain men's climbing festival gets underway.

Although the second week looks daunting, the parcours is actually a trilogy of mountain stages for the climbers starting with back to back climbing stages with summit finishes on stage 8 and 9. Stage 10 gives a bit of respite with a mild stage to Murcia a good one for the long break that just might be allowed free rein by the favorites as it is followed by the well deserved second day of rest. Get the rest while you can lads,  the race continues to without breaks for the next 11 days. for

 Caisse d'Epargne's Alejandro Valverde commented, "Almost all the mountain stages are concentrated in the second week, when the overall leaders will come to the fore. It's a Tour for climbers."

After 11 days in the saddle, road weary legs will face three days of pain with mountain top finishes on stage 12, 13 and 14 with 13 categorized climbs in the three days over 566 kilometers, Ouch! The three days of drama and suffering are followed with 4 hilly stages (15 - 17) once again bringing out the stage hunters and sprinters, well those sprinters capable of surviving the previous three days in the mountains.

At this point, another rest day would fit perfectly; but sorry caballeros, no more to be had. The last act of the drama will be played out in 9 stages with no rest until Madrid. This will wear on the riders and teams as they hit the final three demanding stages of this years Vuelta before  the ceremonial parade into Madrid.

With 17 days and over 2,500 kilometers in their legs, stage 18 opens with the Cat. 2 Alto Pielago at 1120 meters followed by the  Cat. 1 Mijares 1570 m, which should start the penultimate selection among the favorites in the final battle for supremacy. Stage 19will be a bear of a day with 3 category 1 climbs where the brave or desperate rider might grasp the opportunity of testing the race leader on the final climb of the race, the Navacerrada. The final act will be played out on the stage 20, the 26 kilometers (less than flat) race against the clock.

Whoever is in the gold jersey on that Saturday in September, deserves a leisurely ride into Madrid to claim his prize as a most worthy participant to add his name to the Vuelta roll of honor.

The parcours looks to be an epic contest from the visit to the home of the Spring Classics to the arrival in Madrid,  I can only concur with the Vuelta's new director, Javie Guillen when he commented at the presentation, "All the ingredients are there to enjoy great cycling,"  avier Guillen, took over for Victor Cordero as director this year; Cordero oversaw the Vuelta organisation for the last 13 years.

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 Larger image stage 1-11      © 2008 Unipublic, S.A.