The Drenthe region is gearing up for the arrival of La Vuelta and has the bulls to prove it.(Image credit: Bert Geerts)
Liquigas make their way through the red, white and blue of the Assen ripple-strips(Image credit: Sirotti)
Hosting the start of this year's Vuelta a España was a success for the Dutch province of Drenthe, both athletically and financially, and the region wants to repeat it. Local politicians have said they will ask for the Spanish race to visit again.
Anneke Haarsma, Labour party deputy director, said that after the success of the Vuelta's August 29 opening in Assen, the province is eager to host the race again in 2013 or 2014.
“The Spaniards were very enthusiastic and have seen seen what we can do,” she told the news agency ANP. “We want to sit down and talk with them. It depends on whether or not the Spanish can come.”
This year's Vuelta opened with a time trial on Assen's Moto GP race track. It was followed by two stages contained completely within the Netherlands. Stage four ran from the Netherlands into Belgium, before the race returned to Spain after an early rest day.
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