Rescheduled and rerouted, the Vuelta a Espana sets off from the Basque Country on Tuesday with defending champion Primoz Roglic vying for the winner’s red jersey after his dramatic capitulation in the Tour de France.
The chasing pack includes a back-from-injury Chris Froome in his last major race for Team Ineos before the four-time Tour de France winner leaves for Israel Start-Up Nation.
Roglic looked set to win the Tour de France last month until the rider, who will turn 31 later in October, fell apart on a stunning penultimate day, opening the way for fellow Slovenian Tadej Pogacar to take victory.
Since then Roglic has restored some pride by winning the Belgian one-day classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege, profiting from Julian Alaphilippe’s premature celebrations to nip past the Frenchman on the line.
Organiers of the Vuelta, the last of cycling’s big three tours, have swatted away a series of disruptions from Covid-19.