The Vuelta a Castilla y León marks the start of spring in Spain for the smaller teams. Four consecutive weeks of competition in four consecutive stage races, where, with some nuances, more or less the same teams will compete. This is a more than important opportunity for the second-tier Spanish teams to try to bag victories.
Furthermore, as was the case last year, there will be no mountain finish or time trial. And this time, the climbs are all located quite far from the finish line, all three days long. So the race will be very open, and bonuses will likely decide the outcome.
Route
The provinces of Burgos, Palencia, and León, with a mention of the Camino de Santiago, guide the route of the Castilian-Leonese round. A race where the three days could easily be decided by a mass finish. Breakaways and wind are the only elements that can break the peloton's discipline. The first day, between Belorado and Castrojeriz, has its main difficulty in the central section with the climb to Altotero (Category 1), which reaches its peak 83 km from the finish. Plenty of time for regrouping.
The second route, practically flat, starts in the beautiful town of Frómista in Palencia and finishes in Villada, passing through the Tierra de Campos region of Palencia but avoiding the mountains of this province. The third and final route, between León and Villafranca del Bierzo, will include the climb to Foncebadón (2nd category) along the short side, followed by another long descent and flat section to the finish line.
Teams and favorites
Only one WorldTour team, the Movistar Team, will be attending the event. It will be led by Carlos Barbero, who always makes a splash in his home country and won't want to be outdone this time. The bulk of the field is made up of Portuguese and Spanish teams from the other two tiers of professional cycling. Of course, Caja Rural-RGA, Euskadi-Murias, and Burgos-BH have three very interesting contenders to try to win stages. Then it remains to be seen whether they can achieve them or whether someone else gets ahead of them.
Among the Portuguese teams, W52-FC Porto stands out in the Professional Continental category, a second division that does have a strong and varied representation in the race. Starting with Rubén Plaza's Israel Cycling Academy, which, however, doesn't have the same favorable terrain this time to attempt another feat as last year's in Ávila. And Ávila is precisely the surname of the man who can win the race for the Israeli team. Edwin is his name.
Total Direct Energie, Manzana Postobon, and Delko Marseille complete the list of eight Professionals who will gather in Belorado starting Thursday. The French team, who are debuting their new name, has one of the favorites at the finish: Niccolò Bonifazio. Delko's team is split between Brenton Jones and Grosu. And Restrepo is perhaps the fastest man on the Colombian squad.
The Spanish
The Spanish field is extensive, as expected for a race on the national calendar. In addition to the Spanish teams, the Portuguese teams also have a wealth of Spanish athletes in their ranks. Carlos Barbero was mentioned above, but we shouldn't forget the likes of Jon Aberasturi (Caja Rural-RGA), Enrique Sanz (Euskadi-Murias), and Dani López (Burgos-BH), all of them fast men.
Óscar Pelegrí, who is performing very well in Portugal this spring, also has enough speed to cause a scare if a small group arrives. As does Edu Prades. Txomin Juaristi is also taking a step forward in 2019, and of course, we can't forget—although it doesn't suit him particularly well—the tireless Paco Mancebo. Even Antonio Angulo (Efapel) could spring a surprise one day.
In total, there are 41 Spaniards out of just over 100 cyclists who will be in Belorado. A number reminiscent of the previous decade.
Historical
With 33 years of history behind it, the Vuelta a Castilla y León has also gone through several phases. After many five-day editions, it ultimately failed to fully escape the economic crisis and had to be reduced to three. And so it remains, despite the fact that in recent years it has even requested a fourth date on the calendar.
Alberto Contador is the rider with the most victories (2007, 08, 10), but before him other illustrious names in Spanish cycling had already won, such as Miguel Indurain (1993) and Melcior Mauri (1994). Paco Mancebo, double winner in 2000 and 2003, is still active. Among the riders who have participated and stepped onto the podium but failed to win are Jan Ullrich, Alex Zulle, and Laurent Jalabert.
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