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2014 Vuelta a Espana: Stage 21 preview, live blog

14th September, 2014
General classification

1. Alberto Contador (Spain / Tinkoff - Saxo) 81:12:13"
2. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) +1:37"
3. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Movistar) +2:35"
4. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain / Katusha) +3:57"
5. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) +4:46"
6. Samuel Sanchez (Spain / BMC Racing) +10:07"
7. Daniel Martin (Ireland / Garmin) +10:24"
8. Warren Barguil (France / Giant) +12:13"
9. Daniel Navarro (Spain / Cofidis) +13:09"
10. Damiano Caruso (Italy / Cannondale) +13:15"
The Criterium du Dauphine continues. (Photo: Team Sky)
Roar Guru
14th September, 2014
58

The 2014 Vuelta a Espana concludes with a 9.7 kilometre individual time trial around Santiago de Compostela. Join The Roar from 3:15am for live coverage of the final stage of what has been an exciting Vuelta a Espana.

The parcours should favour riders with big, powerful engines that can output and maintain a lot of power thanks to the number of straights. However, there are some slight changes in elevation and several roundabouts the riders will need to account for while out on course.

Due to the short length of the individual time trial we should not see too many changes in the upper echelons of the general classification. However, with only six seconds separating Damiano Caruso of Team Cannondale from Daniel Navarro of Team Cofidis, we may see the tenth and ninth positions swap hands.

While for anyone interested, today’s stage finishes in the Plaza del Obradoiro and in front of the Santiago de Compostela’s cathedral, the final destination of the famous Camino de Santiago (“Way of Saint James”) pilgrimage route.

If beginning the race with a short time trial makes the stage a prologue then today must be an epilogue. A particularly open one at that with both Tony Martin and Fabian Cancellara absent from the race due to withdrawing early.

In the absence of Martin and Cancellara, Team Movistar’s Adriano Malori should be the outright favourite on paper ahead of Rohan Dennis and Jesse Sergent. Although, three weeks of gruelling racing through the Spanish countryside has taken its toll on the peloton, meaning today’s final stage is as much who has the most energy left as it is about time trialling skill.

Similar to other the prologues, we could see a few surprise results from less fancied riders due to the shortness of the route. For example, Orica GreenEDGE’s Michael Matthews achieved some great results in the Tour de Slovanie and Tour de Pologne in similar individual time trials before the Vuelta a Espana.

Remember to join The Roar from 3:15am for live coverage of the final stage, as we see which riders that have survived the last three weeks of torment is the strongest.

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