Roglic, Dumoulin and Kuss set to ride Vuelta a Espana

Jumbo-Visma Bees are going to the Vuelta a Espana with a very strong team, according to the Spanish newspaper AS

Tom Dumoulin will be at the start in Spain as expected, while defending champion Primoz Roglic and Sepp Kuss could be also present.

Dumoulin last rode the Vuelta in 2015. It was the year in which he discovered himself at Team Sunweb as a general classification rider. He rode then in the red jersey for a long time, but due to a bad day in the last mountain stage, he eventually finished sixth.

Tom Dumoulin will be back to racing this week at the World Championships time trial.

“On Wednesday I will fly to the World Championships”, said Dumoulin. “That depends on how I feel. Friday’s time trial is still subject to change. I have agreed with national coach Koos Moerenhout that I will see how I get out of the Tour.

“I feel good, but I have had a difficult time. It has been quite a lot and I don’t want to overload myself and take that back to next year. I’m going to have a nice rest and then you will see me again in Imola.”

The 2020 race is a total 18 stages and three thrilling weeks starting October 20 which culminates in Madrid on November 8.

The route still features cycling’s mythical Col de Tourmalet in France where Thibaut Pinot won a stage ahead of Julian Alaphilippe on the 2019 Tour de France.

Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic is the defending champion while runner up veteran Spaniard Alejandro Valverde is likely to race the Tour de France and the Olympics in July before retiring.

The 21-year-old Tadej Pogacar will be a focus of attention after winning three stages, the white jersey and finishing third overall on his breakout Vuelta last September.

A traditionally gruelling race, in its 75th edition, the route includes 6 mountain top finishes, as well as 7 stages that feature medium to high mountains in Spain.

There will be 4 flat stages, and 13 hilly and mountain stages, as well as one individual time trial.

Six Uphill Finishes will Suit the Pure Climbers

Roglic dominated his rivals in the time-trials last year and the 2020 route should suit him.

With fearsome summit finishes posted at the top of the La Laguna Negra, Tourmalet, Moncalvillo, La Farrapona, Angliru and La Covatilla, Roglic will have much to fear from the mountain climbers.

Stage 6 and 8 offer brutal mountain challenges, with the former posing a 19km climb of the Col du Tourmalet at a gradient of 7.4 per cent and the latter finishing at Moncalvillo after a 15km climb, the last eight kilometres at an unforgiving 9.2 per cent.

A short stage 12 featured three 1st category and two 3rd category climbs culminating on the angry slopes of the L’Angliru which will again, be the judge of La Vuelta, sentencing those who have a bad day and crowning those who continue to fight for the ultimate victory.

Stage 17 brings the final summit finish at La Covatilla.

The sprint to the line in Madrid will conclude at the Plaza de Cibeles at the end of stage 18.

2020 La Vuelta a Espana Stages