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.
Patrick Effeney
Editor
The photo is courtesy of Team Sky.
Scott
Guest
Alberto Contador - the man in Red (Team Sky) ?? Need to check your photo captions there :-) Good race, in some respects better than the tour this year. Can Froome come back in the tour next year ? Should be interesting
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Or Kiwi rather!... You would think I would stop making that mistake by now considering how often I've reminded myself about it, but it still slips through occasionally on accident.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Now I bid thee "Adios!"...
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
If you have Eurosport Australia, or alternative methods, the Grand Prix de Montreal is currently being raced, with some 46 kilometres remaining. Orica - GreenEDGE's Simon Gerrans will be hoping to go back-to-back after his victory in the Grand Prix de Quebec earlier on Friday.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
However, just because the third Grand Tour of the season has now come to an end does not mean the cycling season is over just yet. So keep it tuned to The Roar for further cycling news, analysis and coverage in the run up to the 2014 UCI Road World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Thank you for joining me for the conclusion of the 2014 Vuelta a Espana, which was won by Alberto Contador ahead of Chris Froome and Alejandro Valverde.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
For anyone interested, Australian Sam Bewley was Orica - GreenEDGE's best placed finisher on the 21st and final stage of the 2014 Vuelta a Espana with 13th position. Bewley finished with a time of 11'34", some twenty-two seconds (+22") slower than the time set by stage winner Adriano Malori.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
2014 Vuelta a Espana - Top 15 in the General Classification at the conclusion of Stage 21 and then Vuelta a Espana: 01. Alberto Contador of Tinkoff Saxo... (81:25:05") 02. Christopher Froome of Sky Pro Cycling... (+1'10") 03. Alejandro Valverde of Team Movistar... (+1'50") 04. Joaquim Rodriguez of Team Katusha... (+3'25") 05. Fabio Aru of Astana Pro Team... (+4'48") 06. Samuel Sanchez of BMC Racing... (+9'30") 07. Daniel Martin of Garmin - Sharp... (+10'38") 08. Warren Barguil of Giant Shimano... (+11'50") 09. Damiano Caruso of Cannondale... (+12'50") 10. Daniel Navarro of Team Cofidis... (+13'02") 11. Daniel Moreno of Team Katusha... (+16'44") 12. Mikel Nieve of Sky Pro Cycling... (+19'54") 13. Romain Sicard of Team Europcar... (+24'20") 14. Wilco Kelderman of Belkin Pro Cycling... (+25'04") 15. Giampaolo Caruso of Team Katusha... (+25'27")
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Coming up, the Top 15 in the General Classification for the 2014 Vuelta a Espana.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
So Alberto Contador of Tinkoff Saxo wins the 2014 Vuelta a Espana by one minute and ten seconds (+1'10") over Christopher Froome of Sky Pro Cycling. Alejandro Valverde of Team Movistar rounds out the podium in third a further forty seconds (40") back, some one minute and fifty seconds slower than Alberto Contador (+1'50").
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Team Katusha, as provisionally confirmed earlier, have won the Teams Classification as the best placed team in the 2014 Vuelta a Espana.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Alberto Contador retains the Maglia Blanco (White Jersey) as well, meaning the Spaniard wins the Combined (Combination) Classification ahead of Alejandro Valverde.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Meanwhile John Degenkolb of Giant Shimano retains the Green Jersey, meaning the German wins the Points Classification.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Just to confirm what I said earlier, Luis Leon Sanchez of Caja Rural - Serguros RGA wins the blue-and-white polka dot jersey of the King of the Mountains classification.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
The Vuelta a Espana and Alberto Contador are now paying tribute to the pilgrimage route.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Alberto Contador is currently on the top step of the podium receiving his prizes and plaudits from the race representatives and the massive crowd present in the square.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
After presenting the podium for today's 21st and final stage of the 2014 Vuelta a Espana, the presentation has now moved on to our podium for the General Classification.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Also, a shout-out to Australian Lottol Belisol ride Adam Hansen, who has just successfully completed his tenth consecutive Grand Tour. That's quite the feat finishing the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana consecutively for a little over three years.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
2014 Vuelta a Espana - Top 10 for Stage 21: (Subject to Change) 01. Adriano Malori of Team Movistar... (11'12") 02. Jesse Sergent of Trek Factory Racing... (+08") 03. Rohan Dennis of BMC Racing... (+09") 04. Vasil Kiryienka of Sky Pro Cycling... (+17") 05. Jimmy Engoulvent of Team Europcar... (+18") 06. Sergei Chernetckii of Team Katusha... (+18") 07. Maciej Bodnar of Team Cannondale... (+18") 08. Alexey Lutsenko of Astana Pro Team... (+18") 09. Jasper Stuyven of Trek Factory Racing... (+19") 10. Damien Gaudin of AG2R Le Mondiale... (+19")