La Vuelta 2022: 'We are happy to get out of here' - Riders criticise 'very nervous' start in Netherlands

Alejandro Valverde, Mikel Landa and Wilco Kelderman have all criticised the start to the 2022 Vuelta a Espana, suggesting that the route was too narrow and technical to accommodate such a large peloton. Three weeks of racing at the final Grand Tour of the year commenced with three days in the Netherlands, incorporating a team time-trial and two pan-flat sprinting days which provided few stern tests as Sam Bennett took back-to-back wins.

Ad Despite this, some of the riders felt unable to relax, with a twisting route through a number of villages providing plenty of trouble in the form of road furniture and tight bends causing nervous racing. Vuelta a EspañaDutch delight in Utrecht as Jumbo-Visma win opening TTT and Gesink takes red19/08/2022 AT 18:36 Though the peloton avoided major incident, both Lotto-Soudal's Steff Cras and Michael Woods of Israel-Premier Tech were forced to abandon after crashes.

And though praising the support of a strong and typically passionate Dutch crowd, Kelderman felt his native roads are perhaps best avoided. «I didn't really enjoy it, I have to say,» the Bora-Hangsrohe rider, who is bound for Jumbo-Visma in the close season, admitted.

«So many bends and cobbles, [Dutch province] Brabant is not really made for a big Tour. When you ride with a peloton through all those small streets with all those turns and then you have to accelerate, that's really tough.» The race continues on more familiar terrain in the Spanish Basque Country after a travel day, withStage Four beginning in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

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