Cycling: The Vuelta a España concluded in Madrid on Sunday . Cycling fans will now have to wait until May to experience the excitement of another Grand Tour. But there's solace in the fact that the 2016 Vuelta a España showcased everything that makes this sport so special: thrilling classifications, no dominant riders, and a gripping battle for the podium with plenty of tactical intricacies. In our Vuelta a España review, we examine the past three weeks and arrive at some interesting conclusions.
Young drivers draw attention to themselves
In few sports is it as difficult for young professionals to break into the world elite as in cycling. The main reason is clear: physical attributes and experience are crucial for achieving these levels of performance. Nevertheless, many young professionals impressed over the past three weeks. Lilian Calmejane (23), Simon Yates (24), Valerio Conti (23), Pierre Latour (22) , and Magnus Cort Nielsen (23) ( twice ) secured six stage victories. Nairo Quintana and Esteban Chaves , both Colombians and just 26 years old, also stood on the podium. The winner of the King of the Mountains classification, Omar Fraile , and the points leader, Fabio Felline, are also only 26. In our Vuelta a España review, we can therefore conclude that we have already witnessed the future of cycling – or rather, its present. However much criticism there may be of the route, this hilly profile certainly has its advantages.
Tragic heroes and disappointing performances
Alongside many happy riders, our Vuelta a España recap naturally also reveals a few disappointed professionals. Alberto Contador certainly deserves mention; before the final stage, he held a lead of over a minute over Esteban Chaves in third place overall, only to finish fourth. Luis Leon Sanchez missed out on his coveted stage win, as did Samy Sanchez, who had to abandon the race after his crash in the time trial and was undoubtedly the most tragic figure of this tour. Michele Scarponi, too , is unlikely to be entirely satisfied with the outcome. The Italian was still in seventh place overall after the time trial before being knocked out of the top ten by the final mountain stage. We mustn't forget his teammate Miguel Angel Lopez, who, as probably the only Colombian, is likely to be disappointed. He was considered a strong podium contender but had to abandon the Vuelta due to injury.
Exciting decisions in the ratings
That there are always winners and losers in a competition is inevitable, but sport thrives on excitement. The spice of cycling lies primarily in the close and dramatic finishes, which we examine in our Vuelta a España review. Unlike most other stage races, we didn't know until the very end who would ultimately take home the classification jerseys. Fabio Felline, a strong sprinter on hills, triumphed in the points classification. Nothing particularly remarkable in itself, but when we look at where he secured his crucial points, this man deserves the utmost respect. He finished in the points on two mountain stages. His performance as a breakaway rider on stage 20 was particularly impressive. He also amassed seven points in the time trial. In the end, he had three more points than Quintana, seven more than Valverde , and eight more than Froome. The battle for the polka dot jersey between Omar Fraile and Kenny Elissonde was similarly thrilling . The two battled it out over several stages, and in the end the Spaniard earned one more point. Here too, the decision wasn't made until the final mountain stage.
The duel Nairo Quintana vs. Chris Froome
Despite all the classifications, the battle for the overall victory naturally garnered the most attention. Here, too, there was a thrilling and closely contested contest. Nairo Quintana ultimately triumphed, finishing 83 seconds ahead of Chris Froome. The Briton had tried everything on the final mountain stage, but he simply couldn't shake the Colombian. Quintana thus turned the tables, having previously always come out second best in the Tour de France. Crucial to his success was undoubtedly the 15th stage, in which he and Contador inflicted a painful defeat on Team Sky and Orica-BikeExchange. Froome lost a total of 2 minutes and 37 seconds that day. He was unable to make up this deficit in the time trial on the 19th stage . Accordingly, this overall victory can also be considered a particular triumph for Team Movistar. While Froome was clearly the stronger of the two general classification contenders in the time trial, they were evenly matched in the mountains. Quintana appeared fresher overall, but Froome impressed equally with his inimitable comebacks. He fell behind several times, but always fought his way back and closed the gap. In the end, a single lapse in concentration on stage 15 was all it took.
Tactical refinements prove the team sport
But tactical decisions played a major role not only on that particular section from Sabiñánigo to Sallent de Gállego. This entire tour was characterized by numerous tactical subtleties. The Orica-BikeExchange team was responsible for some of these, and ironically, they were among the teams that suffered setbacks on stage 15. The day before, on stage 14, they had positioned Esteban Chaves and Simon Yates exceptionally well. This masterful performance was ultimately completed on stage 20 when Chaves launched an early attack, ultimately knocking Contador off the podium. On both occasions, support riders were sent into the leading group to act as relay stations. The entire plan worked perfectly, as they were able to support their captains for many kilometers. With this, Orica-BikeExchange has now proven itself as a team capable of handling stage race riders. This may well raise eyebrows, as they have previously been known primarily for their stage hunters. Nevertheless, they still managed to win no fewer than four stages.
Spanish cycling is in crisis
An interesting topic that needs to be addressed, especially after this season: In 2016, Spain only managed three stage wins in Grand Tours. In our Vuelta a España review, we note that no Spaniard made it onto the podium. This last happened in 1996, when three Swiss riders stood on the podium. At least three Spaniards finished in the top eight, but in this cycling-mad country, they are used to better results. Hopes for improvement in the near future don't seem to be very high, as young talent is few and far between. Although Spain is currently third in the Nations Cup standings, the points were almost exclusively earned by older riders. Valverde and Contador alone are responsible for half of the points. However, both of these riders are nearing the end of their careers. Seven Spaniards are in the top 100 of the UCI World Ranking, but apart from Jon Izaguirre , all are at least 32 years old.
The Vuelta a Espana is better than its reputation
The Vuelta a España has always struggled to emerge from the shadow of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. The organizers are partly to blame for this poor reputation, but starting less than two months after the Tour's conclusion also means it doesn't have a perfect spot on the calendars of top riders. Incidents like the one on stage 5, when Steven Kruijswijk, another tragic hero of this season, had to abandon the race because of an unsecured post, certainly don't help its image. Furthermore, the undulating profile hasn't attracted top sprinters for years. Nevertheless, we have to admit that the Vuelta a España has offered the most epic stages in recent years. That's cycling at its best. So all cycling fans are already looking forward to the next Grand Tour – even if it's still a while away…