Contador, Yates, Valverde, Lopez, Mas and more gather in Alicante for 2019 route details
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The Vuelta a Espana 2019 route map(Image credit: ASO)
Enric Mas, Simon Yates and Miguel Angel Lopez listen to the 2019 Vuelta a Espana presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Niki Terpstra at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana route presentation in Alicante(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Symphonic Orchestra ADDA play during the 2019 Vuelta a Espana route presentation on December 19 in Alicante (Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The scene at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Perico Delgado, Vuelta director Javier Guillen and TV commentator Carlos de Andrés on stage at the Vuelta presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Former pro Perico Delgado and Vuelta director Javier Guillen(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Former pro Perico Delgado, Vuelta director Javier Guillen and TV commentator Carlos de Andrés on stage at the Vuelta presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Enric Mas, Simon Yates and Miguel Angel Lopez listen to the 2019 Vuelta a Espana presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Enric Mas, Simon Yates and Miguel Angel Lopez at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana route presentation Wednesday in Alicante(Image credit: Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images)
Former pro Pedro Delgado, world champion Alejandro Valverde and Spanish journalist Carlos de Andres stand under a giant portrait of Valverde at the 2019 Vuelta route presentation (Image credit: Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images)
Former pro Pedro Delgado, world champion Alejandro Valverde and Spanish journalist Carlos de Andres at the 2019 Vuelta route presentation (Image credit: Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images)
The 2019 Vuelta a Espana map looms large at the route presentation on Wednesday(Image credit: Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images)
The scene at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana presentation in Alicante(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The scene at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana presentation in Alicante(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The giant map tells the story of the 2019 Vuelta a Espana(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) at the 2019 Vuelta route presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) at the 2019 Vuelta route presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Astana) during the Vuelta a Espana route presentatio(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Alejandro valverde all dressed up for the 2019 Vuelta a Espana route presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Alberto Contador was a guest at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana route presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The scene at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana presentation in Alicante(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Big pictures on stage at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana route presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Perico Delgado Carlos de Andrés walk on stage at the 2019 Vuelta route presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Perico Delgado Carlos de Andrés walk on stage at the 2019 Vuelta route presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Alejandro Valverde provides the backdrop at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana route presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Officials speak on stage at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana route presentation(Image credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme, Alejandro Valverde and Vuelta a Espana director Javier Guillen take part in the route presentation for the 2019 Vuelta (Image credit: Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images)
The 2019 route trims back the number of mountain finishes from previous years, but there will still be plenty of climbing. New for 2019, however, will be the first-ever gravel section as the peloton races over 4km of dirt track during stage 9 from Andorra la Vella to Cortals d'Encamp.
The 74th edition of the Spanish Grand Tour will take place between August 24 and September 15. Setting out from Salinas de Torrevieja with a team time trial, the Vuelta will conclude in Madrid after 3,272.2km of racing. The route will include eight uphill finishes, five of which are new.
"It’s going to be a hard but very interesting Vuelta, with surprises, intrigue and emotion guaranteed," said Vuelta a Espana General Manager Javier Guillén. "There will be short-but-intense stages, including innovation and new and unprecedented ascents. The Vuelta brand is what it is, and we will never give it up. To the contrary, we seek to strengthen it."
Click or swipe through the gallery above for a look at the presentation in Alicante.
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