The one thing your less-informed cycling friends know for certain about the Vuelta a España : it’s the one that’s not the Giro and not the Tour. Funny thing is, they’re right.
Here’s what sets the Vuelta apart and makes it so special. It’s like a local race at world-class scale; the one Grand Tour that lets you really immerse yourself in the culture of the host country and feel the passion the Spanish have for the sport of bicycle racing.
As usual, TBT puts you right in the heart of the action. We’ll ride the key mountain stages, challenge ourselves on some of the most brutal climbs of the entire WorldTour circuit, and go behind the scenes to get close to the riders and celebrities in this most accessible of all Grand Tours.
We’ll climb the quintessential puertos, witness the riders tackle 3 of the most critical mountain stages, including the summit finish atop the brutal Alto de l’Angliru. And we’ll be on hand to watch history being made at the the final stage in Madrid.
Fantastic trip! The crew at Thomson is outstanding! A great group of guys that made the trip fun for us all. Great guys and great riders! It was a real pleasure to ride with them.
–David Harper, Canada
In This Year’s Vuelta, Fortune Favors The Bold
The 2017 venue is remarkable. The 2017 January presentation showed a race featuring short, explosive stages that favor the climbers and are capable of blowing the entire GC roster apart in a single day. Combine that with a penultimate stage finish at the notorious Angliru summit, and you’ve got spectacular racing for the fans, opportunities aplenty for the most daring riders… and a nightmare for the big teams’ tacticians.
Alejandro Valverde put it this way in a team communication as soon as the coursse was unveiled: “It’s a climber’s course, no doubts about that,” he said. “(and) no place for TT specialists who climb just well.”
Who might The Green Bullet be referring to? It’s well known within the peloton that Chris Froome would love nothing better than a cherry on top a fourth Tour de France victory by claiming his first-ever Vuelta win.
Will Froomey succeed? Despite the (implied) trash talk, no one really knows, but we’ll be waiting at the finish line in VIP seats when it happens.
The Vuelta, The Asturias and TBT? Win, Win, Win!!!
–Peter Franklin, Australia
There’s a Reason We Call it a KOM Tour
Alto de l’Angliru, of course. But also the Lagos de Covadonga (HC and site of Nairo Quintana’s spectacular 2016 triumph); Los Machucos (HC, with sections over 22%), and the Puerto de la Lunada and Alto el Cordal, among many others.
Along the way, we’ll relax in historic accommodations, enjoy amazing Cantabrian cuisine and wine, and have the chance to meet the racers in a relaxed atmosphere you just won’t find at the other Grand Tours.
