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2019 Vuelta a Espana to visit Andorra and France

By Cycling News

published 19 November 2018

Route to be presented in full on December 19

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Simon Yates passed the first test in Andorra with his Vuelta leader's jersey intact (Image credit: Getty Images)

Simon Yates passed the first test in Andorra with his Vuelta leader's jersey intact(Image credit: Getty Images)

Simon Yates leads Thibaut Pinot up Coll de la Rabassa durng stage 19 at the Vuelta(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Enric Mas (Quick-Step Floors) wins stage 20(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Riders head out for stage 17 of the Vuelta a Espana(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images Sport)

The Vuelta a España will return to Andorra in 2019, while the race could also cross the Pyrenees for a stage on French roads. The 2019 Vuelta route will be presented in Alicante on December 19.

2019 Vuelta a Espana to start in Alicante region with time trial

Vuelta a España: Simon Yates seals overall win

Vuelta a Espana 2019 route to be unveiled on December 19

Olga Gelebert, Andorra’s Minister for Culture, Sport and Youth, confirmed to El Periòdic d'Andorra over the weekend that the principality will host a stage finish during the 2019 Vuelta, though she did not divulge the details.

"This is very good news," said Gelebert, who hinted that Andorra would also seek to host the Tour de France again in the coming years. "It has been shown that when the Tour arrives, the impact is a bit bigger, but La Vuelta is well known."

Andorra was the site of the final two mountain stages of the 2018 Vuelta, with Thibaut Pinot winning at on the Coll de la Rabassa and Enric Mas triumphing on the Coll de Gallina.

El Periòdic d'Andorra suggested that Cortals d’Encamp – where Mikel Landa won on the 2015 Vuelta – could be in line to host the Andorran stage finish in 2019, though no details have yet been confirmed.

Speaking to the EFE news agency at the end of this year’s Vuelta, race director Javier Guillen hinted that the race would visit France in 2019, citing the success of last year's start in Nîmes.

AS reports that Pau is a likely candidate for the French stage of the 2019 Vuelta, though it is unclear if it would host a time trial, as was previously rumoured. Pau has already been confirmed as the start and finish town for the stage 13 time trial on the 2019 Tour de France.