Kuss, Roglic to battle for wide open Vuelta a Espana

The gruelling Vuelta a Espana begins on Saturday with Sepp Kuss aiming to defend his crown while veteran Primoz Roglic hopes to secure a joint-record fourth victory in the Spanish race.

With star trio Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel not competing this year, several other cyclists are eyeing the chance to claim a Grand Tour triumph.

American rider Kuss has endured a tough season after competing in all three Grand Tours last year.

Kuss withdrew from the Tour de France in June after struggling with Covid-related fitness issues, but won the Vuelta a Burgos last week to gear up for his Spanish tour defence.

"I quickly got over the disappointment of missing the Tour, but it was definitely a letdown... luckily, I was able to focus on the Vuelta afterwards," said Kuss, who lives in Andorra and enjoys some 'home' support.

"I definitely don't see myself as the top favourite for the overall victory. I'm ready to lead the team in the Vuelta, but I don't feel any pressure.

"Hopefully, I can grow into the race and quickly find a good rhythm."

Wout Van Aert is also riding for Visma in the Vuelta for the first time, aiming to claim stage wins as well as supporting teammate Kuss.

While Kuss started last year's Vuelta set to play second fiddle to Visma teammates Vingegard and Roglic, now of German team Bora–Hansgrohe, the 29-year-old took the lead in stage eight never relinquished it.

It completed a remarkable treble of Grand Tour wins for the Dutch team after Roglic won last year's Giro d'Italia and Vingegaard was crowned Tour de France champion.

This year Pogacar's Giro and Tour triumphs mean UAE Team Emirates can replicate that success if they emerge victorious in Spain.

Despite Pogacar's absence they boast a powerful team led by Adam Yates and Joao Almeida, and 20-year-old Mexican rider Isaac del Toro will make his Grand Tour debut, but Spaniard Juan Ayuso is not competing.

Del Toro triumphed at the Vuelta a Asturias in April in a superb first year with UAE.

La Vuelta departs from Almeida's native Portugal with a 12 kilometre individual time trial.

"Myself and Joao had a good partnership going at (Tour de) Suisse and I think if we're both in top shape or either one of us is in contention we'll be ready to make the best of it," said Yates, who won the Swiss race in June with Almeida second.

ROGLIC'S RECORD QUEST

Three-time winner Roglic is the favourite to claim victory but some wonder if the veteran Slovenian rider is past his best.

Roglic, 34, suffered a bad crash in the Tour de France which forced him to abandon the race with a fracture in his lower back and threatened his Vuelta participation.

If he triumphs as in 2019, 2020 and 2021, he will equal Roberto Heras as the race's most successful rider.

For the first time since 1997 La Vuelta begins in Portugal, starting on August 17 in Lisbon and ending in Madrid on September 8, 21 stages and 3 265 kilometres later.

There is just one stage described as flat by the organisers and 61 522 metres of elevation in the 79th edition of the race.

The first three stages take place in Portugal, starting with the first of two time trials that bookend the race, before heading to the south of Spain, with finishes in Seville, Cordoba and Granada.

After the first of two rest days on August 26, the race then heads north to Galicia before finishing in Madrid with another individual time trial spanning 24.6 kilometres.