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La Vuelta a España - August 14 to September 5 LIVE on SBS VICELAND, SBS On Demand and the SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker
The Spanish Grand Tour is well-known for steep climbs, hot weather and quality winners.
Primož Roglič has taken out the last two editions of the race, will the Slovenian channel his Tour de France disappointment into another tilt at the Vuelta and set up a dream encounter with countryman Tadej Pogačar, along with Remco Evenepoel and Egan Bernal?
All stages will be LIVE to EASTERN STATES on SBS VICELAND and live streaming to SBS On Demand and the SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker.
Stage 1- Burgos - 7.1km time trial
Saturday August 14- (Sunday early morning) 0150 – 0515
SBS VICELAND and live streaming to SBS On Demand, SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker
The opening time trial is one for the power time-triallists, even with the climb on the early part of the course. Olympic gold medallist Primož Roglič will looking to get his Vuelta a España defense off to a great start here.
Stage 1 profile, 2021 La Vuelta a Espana Source: ASO
Stage 2- Calaruega to Burgos - 166.7km
Sunday August 15- 2300 – 0150
SBS VICELAND and live streaming to SBS On Demand. SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker starts from 22:50
The early flat stages of this year's Vuelta a España are a rare luxury for the pure sprinters, so often Vuelta organisers delight in sticking very hard climbs at the end of mostly flat stages, but this year there are quite a few flat finishes. This has been rewarded with more high quality sprinters at the race, and the likes of Arnaud Demare, Jasper Philipsen, Fabio Jakobsen, Alberto Dainese, Juan Sebastian Molano and Australian Michael Matthews will fight out the flat sprints.
Stage 2 profile, 2021 La Vuelta a Espana Source: ASO
Stage 3- Santo Domingo de Silos to Picón Blanco - 202.8km
Monday August 16- 2300 – 0150
SBS VICELAND and live streaming to SBS On Demand. SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker starts from 22:50
A nasty sting in the tail of this 200-kilometre plus stage is the climb of Picon Blanco, a 7.6 kilometre ascent at 9.1 per cent. This should prompt some major attacks from the GC favourites to thin out the contenders from the pretenders and give the winner a long stint in the red jersey with a number of flatter stages coming up.
Stage 3 profile, 2021 La Vuelta a Espana Source: ASO
Stage 4- El Burgo de Osma to Molina de Aragón -163.9km
Tuesday August 17- 2300 – 0150
SBS VICELAND and live streaming to SBS On Demand. SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker starts from 22:50
This stage is a good deal hillier than the profile indicates and even if the sprinters make the finale of the race, the last kilometre heads steeply uphill, at roughly eight per cent. It's short enough that the sprinters may be able to hang in to contest the sprint, but also very much into the wheelhouse of riders like Michael Matthews, Tom Pidcock and perhaps Primož Roglič.
Stage 4 profile, 2021 La Vuelta a Espana Source: ASO
Stage 5- Tarancón to Albacete - 184.4km
Wednesday August 18 - 2300 – 0150
SBS VICELAND and live streaming to SBS On Demand. SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker starts from 22:50
If Stage 4 ends up being a disappointment for the fast men of the peloton, there should be little scope for woe with the finish in Albacete. The winds whistling over the Central Plateaus may provide some headaches for the peloton, with this set to be a tense day for those watching for crosswinds.
Stage 5 profile, 2021 La Vuelta a Espana Source: ASO
Stage 6- Requena to Alto de la Montaña de Cullera -158.3km
Thursday August 19 - 2300 – 0150
SBS VICELAND and live streaming to SBS On Demand. SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker starts from 22:50
This is one of those stages that the sprinters must hate, downhill or flat basically all the way until the final two kilometres where the peloton has to ride up a wall. The final 60 kilometres of the stage are run alongside the Mediterranean coast, the potential for crosswinds can't be underestimated there, but the main feature is the final climb to the finish line which rises for two kilometres at 9.2 per cent.
Stage 6 profile, 2021 La Vuelta a Espana Source: ASO
Stage 7- Gandía to Balcón de Alicante - 152km
Friday August 20 - 2120 – 0150
SBS VICELAND and live streaming to SBS On Demand. SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker starts from 21:05
Six categorised climbs packed into 152 kilometres comprise the hardest stage of racing thus far at the 2021 Vuelta, with the summit finish sure to see some attacking from the favourites ahead of the rest day. The early category 1 ascent will put early stress on the favourites if the pace is high, and we've seen a lot of riders caught out by similar eary stage tests in the past.
If there's not much action throughout the stage, the final four kilometres will certainly be the scene of attacking, with the final rise to Balcon de Alicante averaging over 10 per cent before a final short dip to the finish line.
Stage 7 profile, 2021 La Vuelta a Espana Source: ASO
Stage 8- Santa Pola to La Manga del Mar Menor -173.7km
Saturday August 21- 2300 – 0150
SBS VICELAND and live streaming to SBS On Demand. SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker starts from 22:50
La Manga del Mar Menor (meaning "The Sandbar of the Minor Sea") is the picturesque finish to today's stage, which runs mainly along the Mediterranean coast. Wind direction will be crucial in this one, with the final kilometres running along an exposed spit to the finish.
Stage 8 profile, 2021 La Vuelta a Espana Source: ASO
Stage 9- Puerto-Lumbreras to Alto de Velefique - 188km
Sunday August 22 - 2315 – 0150
SBS VICELAND and live streaming to SBS On Demand. SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker starts from 22:50
A nasty finish for the riders hoping for a quiet finish to the opening week of La Vuelta. A summit finish to Alto de Velefique is the first uncategorised climb of the race, the 13.2-kilometre ascent at an average of 6.4 per cent isn't the hardest climb of the race, but the early slopes of the climb should thin the peloton out dramatically before it becomes more shallow towards the top.
Stage 9 profile, 2021 La Vuelta a Espana Source: ASO
