La Vuelta 2022 route and stages – Schedule, key dates and predictions in battle for red jersey

It’s not cool like the Giro d'Italia, or popular like the Tour de France. What La Vuelta is, though, is way more fun than either. It might not be the Grand Tour you tell your colleagues you went to when they ask on Monday what you did at the weekend, but it's the one you'll be remembering fondly in years to come, and sharing stories about with pals in your nursing home.

Ad It’s the Last Dance Grand Tour. The “One More Song” Grand Tour. The No Regrets Grand Tour.

Vuelta a EspañaRoglic's to lose? The red jersey contenders out to surprise the Slovenian at La VueltaA DAY AGO And this year it has the additional spice of being the Relegation Dogfight Grand Tour. Roglic's to lose? The red jersey contenders out to surprise the Slovenian at La Vuelta Opinion: 'No luck at all' — The sad state of Ewan and Lotto-Soudal after Tour crash ‘Everything starts again’ – La Vuelta is coming… Three big teams currently find themselves staring into the abyss. Thomas De Gendt may have to successfully break away 19 times to rescue Lotto Soudal from the drop zone.

If Chris Froome can actually find something close to the form of his former self, then Israel-Premier Tech may yet resurrect their WorldTour hopes. Movistar will be going all out as well. Realistically their roster arrives in Utrecht with little hope of winning the thing but, given the points on offer for high overall placings, this could be the year when a trident of potential top tenners might be an asset rather than a liability.

This is the race riders and teams come to with hopes (more than expectations) of salvaging something from their season. It’s why the race looks and feels the way that it does. Sadistic in places, utterly joyful and bonkers in others.