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57th Vuelta a España Preview
Spain, September 7- 29, 2002
Vuelta 2001 Preview Live coverage Stage List Past winners
Preview
By Jeff Jones
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The 57th edition of the Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) is longer (3128 km), but not necessarily harder than this year's sub-3000 kilometre tour. It contains roughly the same number of climbs, but with only four mountain top finishes as opposed to seven in 2001. A 25 km team time trial and two individual time trials (102 km total) will help to keep the Vuelta interesting up until the final stage once again.
Starting on Spain's east coast in Valencia with a 24.5 kilometre team time trial, the Vuelta winds its way to the south of the country, passing via Sierra Nevada (2510 m), the highest point in the tour. This massive climb marks the finish of Stage 5, which at 198 kilometres is one of the longest stages in the Vuelta 2002. Stage 6 is also a mountain top finish, with the 1840 m climb of Sierra de la Pandera coming at the end of 153 kilometres of racing.
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The first individual time trial is Stage 10, starting and finishing in Córdoba. It's 36.5 kilometres long and fairly flat, and it will be a key stage in next year's tour, before the commencement of the second half. A rest day is scheduled right after the TT, and then it's back into the mountains with one of the toughest stages, Stage 11 from Alcobendas and passing via the Puerto de Navacerrada (Cat. 1, 1880 m) before the descent to Collado Villalba.
Stages 13 to 15 skirt around the Pyrenees, culminating with the feared ascent of Alto El Angliru, a steep 1570 m climb that ends the 15th stage. The second rest day follows this stage. The last two mountain stages on Stage 18 and 19 will also provide some serious challenges, especially Stage 18 from Salamanca-Estación de Esquí La Covatilla (193.7 km), which finishes with a 2010 m Special category climb.
The Vuelta finishes in Madrid again with a 41.2 kilometre individual time trial, starting in Warner Bros. Park and finishing in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. This should provide the perfect grand finale to the final grand tour of 2002.
Live coverage
Cyclingnews will be providing live coverage of every stage of the Vuelta, starting approximately 15:00 local time (CEST)/06:00 PDT/09:00 EDT/23:00 Australian EST.
Stage List
Stage 1 - September 7: Valdencia-Valencia TTT, 24.5 km
Stage 2 - September 8: 8 Valencia-Alcoi, 144.7 km
Stage 3 - September 9: San Vicente del Raspeig-Murcia , 134.2 km
Stage 4 - September 10: Aguilas-Roquetas de Mar, 149.5 km
Stage 5 - September 11: El Ejido-Sierra Nevada, 198 km
Stage 6 - September 12: Granada-Sierra de la Pandera (Jaén), 153.1 km
Stage 7 - September 13: Jaén-Málaga , 196.8 km
Stage 8 - September 14: Málaga-Ubrique, 173.6 km
Stage 9 - September 15: Córdoba-Córdoba, 130.2 km
Stage 10 - September 16: Córdoba-Córdoba ITT, 36.5 km
Rest Day - September 17
Stage 11 - September 18: Alcobendas-Collado Villalba, 166.1 km
Stage 12 - September 19: Segovia-Burgos, 210.5 km
Stage 13 - September 20: Burgos-Santander, 189.8 km
Stage 14 - September 21: Santander-Gijón, 190.2 km
Stage 15 - September 22: Gijón-Alto de L'Angliru (La Vega-Riosa), 176.7 km
Rest Day - September 23
Stage 16 - September 24: Avilés-León, 154.7 km
Stage 17 - September 25: Benavente-Salamanca, 145.6 km
Stage 18 - September 26: Salamanca-Estación de Esquí La Covatilla (Béjar), 193.7
km
Stage 19 - September 27: Béjar-Avila, 177.8 km
Stage 20 - September 28: Avila-Warner Bros. Park, 141.2 km
Stage 21 - September 29: Warner Bros. Park-Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid)
ITT, 41.2 km
Summary
21 Stages
10 Medium and high mountain stages
3 Special category, 11 first category, 7 second category climbs 4 Mountain
top finishes
2 Individual time trials (77.7 km total)
1 Team time trial (24.5 km)
Total distance: 3128 km
Past winners
2001 Angel Casero (Spa) Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Levi Leipheimer (USA) 2000 Roberto Heras (Spa) Angel Casero (Spa) Pavel Tonkov (Rus) 1999 Jan Ullrich (Ger) Igor Glez. Galdeano (Spa) Roberto Heras (Spa) 1998 Abraham Olano (Spa) Fernando Escartin (Spa) José Maria Jiminez (Spa) 1997 Alex Zülle (Swi) Fernando Escartin (Spa) Laurent Dufaux (Swi) 1996 Alex Zülle (Swi) Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Tony Rominger (Swi) 1995 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Abraham Olano (Spa) Johan Bruyneel (Bel) 1994 Tony Rominger (Swi) Mikel Zarrabeitia (Spa) Pedro Delgado (Spa) 1993 Tony Rominger (Swi) Alex Zülle (Swi) Ludino Cubino (Spa) 1992 Tony Rominger (Swi) Jesus Montoya (Spa) Pedro Delgado (Spa) 1991 Melchior Mauri (Spa) Miguel Indurain (Spa) Marino Lejaretta (Spa) 1990 M. Giovannetti (Ita) P. Delgado (Spa) A. Fuerte (Spa) 1989 P. Delgado (Spa) F. Parra (Col) O. Vargas (Col) 1988 S. Kelly (Ire) R. Dietzen (Ger) A. Fuerte (Spa) 1987 L. Herrera (Col) R. Dietzen (Ger) L. Fignon (Fra) 1986 A. Pino (Spa) R. Millar (GB) S. Kelly (Ire) 1985 P. Delgado (Spa) R. Millar (GB) F. Rodriguez (Col) 1984 E. Caritoux (Fra) A. Fernandez (Spa) R. Dietzen (Ger) 1983 B. Hinault (Fra) M. Lejarreta (Spa) A. Fernandez (Spa) 1982 M. Lejaretta (Spa) M. Pollentier (Bel) S. Nilsson (Swe) 1981 G. Battaglin (Ita) P. Munoz (Spa) V. Belda (Spa) 1980 F. Ruperez (Spa) P. Torres (Spa) C. Criquielion (Bel) 1979 J. Zoetemelk (Ned) F. Galdos (Spa) M. Pollentier (Bel) 1978 B. Hinault (Fra) J. Pesarrodona (Spa) J. Bernaudeau (Fra) 1977 F. Maertens (Bel) M. Lasa (Spa) K. Thaler (Ger) 1976 J. Pesarrodona (Spa) L. Ocana (Spa) J. Nazabal (Spa) 1975 A. Tamames (Spa) D. Perurena (Spa) M. Lasa (Spa) 1974 J. Fuente (Spa) J. Agostinho (Por) M. Lasa (Spa) 1973 E. Merckx (Bel) L. Ocana (Spa) B Thévenet (Fra) 1972 J. Fuente (Spa) M. Lasa (Spa) A. Tamames (Spa) 1971 F. Bracke (Bel) W. David (Bel) L. Ocana (Spa) 1970 L. Ocana (Spa) A. Tamames (Spa) H. Vanspringel (Bel) 1969 R. Pingeon (Fra) L. Ocana (Spa) W. Wagtmans (Ned) 1968 F. Gimondi (Ita) J. Perez-Frances (Spa) E. Velez (Spa) 1967 J. Janssen (Ned) J. Ducasse (Fra) A. Gonzalez (Spa) 1966 F. Gabica (Spa) E. Velez (Spa) C. Echeverria (Spa) 1965 R. Wolfshohl (Ger) R. Poulidor (Fra) R. Van Looy (Bel) 1964 R. Poulidor (Fra) L. Otana (Spa) J. Perez-Frances (Spa) 1963 J. Anquetil (Fra) M. Colmenarejo (Spa) M. Pacheco (Spa) 1962 R. Altig (Ger) J. Perez-Frances (Spa) S. Elliott (Ire) 1961 A. Soler (Spa) F. Mahé (Fra) J. Perez-Frances (Spa) 1960 F. De Mulder (Bel) A. Desmet (Bel) M. Pacheco (Spa) 1959 A. Suarez (Spa) J. Segu (Spa) R. Van Looy (Bel) 1958 J. Stablinski (Fra) P. Fornara (Spa) F. Manzaneque (Spa) 1957 J. Lorono (Spa) F. Bahamontes (Spa) B. Ruiz (Spa) 1956 A. Conterno (Ita) J. Lorono (Spa) R. Impanis (Bel) 1955 J. Dotto (Fra) J. Quillez (Spa) R. Geminiani (Fra) 1950 E. Rodriguez (Spa) M. Rodriguez (Spa) J. Serra (Spa) 1948 B. Ruiz (Spa) E. Rodriguez (Spa) B. Capo (Spa) 1947 W. Van Dijck (Bel) M. Costa (Spa) D. Rodriguez (Spa) 1946 D. Langarica (Spa) J. Berrendero (Spa) J. Lambrichs (Ned) 1945 D. Rodriguez (Spa) J. Berrendero (Spa) J. Gimeno (Spa) 1942 J. Berrendero (Spa) D. Chafer (Spa) A. Sancho (Spa) 1941 J. Berrendero (Spa) F. Trueba (Sp) J. Jabardo (Spa) 1936 G. Deloor (Bel) A. Deloor (Bel) A. Bertola (Spa) 1935 G. Deloor (Bel) M. Canardo (Spa) A. Dignef (Bel)
