It has been a decade since the Vuelta last finished with a time trial, Santiago Pérez winning in 2004 before it was later revealed he had been blood doping. It's even longer since Spain's national tour didn't finish in the capital. The last occasion was in 1993, when, perhaps not by coincidence, the Vuelta concluded with a time trial into Santiago de Compostela, Alex Zülle winning that day.
Race boss Guillén has evoked the 1989 Tour de France's final time trial into Paris when talking about this stage but it's very unlikely to have such a dramatic impact as that stage, primarily because it's less than half of the distance of that historic test. It'll be fast and the gaps between the GC contenders should be very small.
Javier Guillén says: "It's strange not having the final stage in Madrid. It has not happened since 1993 but Santiago is a very fitting setting, especially as it's the 800th anniversary of the visit by St Francis of Assisi and the time trial finishes at the end of the Camino de Santiago."
Copyright: lavuelta.com
-
Best cycling shorts 2025: Our favorite shorts in every category, for every budget
The best cycling shorts for summer, winter and adventure riding, tested and reviewed -
Juan Ayuso, Julian Alaphilippe and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot lead Spain and France teams for Rwanda World Championships
Monument and Grand Tour stage winners added to start lists for elite races -
'The UCI sets the rules' - Vuelta a España organiser describe protests as 'unacceptable' but insists they could not expel the Israel-Premier Tech team
UCI condemns Spanish government for "exploitation of sport for political purposes" -
Waterproof fabrics jargon buster - Everything you need to know about staying dry
What's a PFAS? Why do brands keep talking about hydrostatic head? Do I need a DRW?
