2010 Vuelta a Espana route announced, and red leader’s jersey unveiled
Officials announce 2010 Vuelta route and unveil new red leader's jersey.
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- Stage 1: Saturday 28 August, Seville to Seville Teams time trial 13.0 km
- Stage 2: Sunday 29 August, Alcalá de Guadaíra to Marbella Plain 173.7 km
- Stage 3: Monday 30 August, Marbella to Malaga Mountains 157.3 km
- Stage 4: Tuesday 31 August, Málaga to Valdepeñas de Jaén Plain 183.8 km
- Stage 5: Wednesday 1 September, Guadix to Lorca Plain 198.8 km
- Stage 6: Thu 2 September, Caravaca de la Cruz to Murcia Plain 151.0 km
- Stage 7: Friday 3 September, Murcia to Orihuela Plain 187.1 km
- Stage 8: Saturday 4 September, Villena to Xorret de Catí Mountains 190.0 km
- Stage 9: Sunday 5 September, Calpe to Alcoy Mountains 187.7 km
- Rest Day. Monday 6 September,
- Stage 10: Tuesday 7 September, Tarragona to Vilanova i la Geltrú Plain 175.7 km
- Stage 11: Wednesday 8 September, Vilanova i la Geltrú to Andorra (Pal) Mountains 208.4 km
- Stage 12: Thu 09 September, Andorra la Vella to Lleida Plain 172.5 km
- Stage 13: Friday 10 September, Rincón de Soto to Burgos Plain 196.0 km
- Stage 14: Saturday 11 September, Burgos to Peña Cabarga Mountains 178.0 km
- Stage 15: Sunday 12 September, Solares to Lagos de Covadonga Mountains 187.3 km
- Stage 16: Monday 13 September, Gijón to Cotobello Mountains 181.4 km
- Rest Day. Tuesday 14 September,
- Stage 17: Wednesday – 15 September, Peñafiel to Peñafiel Time trial46.0 km
- Stage 18: Thu 16 September, Valladolid to Salamanca Plain 148.9 km
- Stage 19: Friday 17 September, Piedrahita to Toledo Plain 231.2 km
- Stage 20: Saturday 18 September, San Martín de Valdeiglesias to Bola del Mundo Mountains 172.1 km
- Stage 21: Sunday 19 September, San Sebastián de los Reyes to Madrid Plain 85.0 km
The 65th edition of the Vuelta a España will break new ground in 2010 with the leader’s jersey changing color from the traditional gold to red and the first stage taking place at night.
The 21-stage race gets underway on August 28 with a 16.5km time trial in the southern city of Seville and will finish in Madrid on September 19.
This year’s event, covering a distance of 3,352km, will travel across many mountainous regions, and will take in the 10.1km climb with a gradient of 8.4 percent to the summit of Cotobello aux Asturies, in the north of the country.
Spaniard Alejandro Valverde won the 2009 edition ahead of compatriot Samuel Sanchez and Australia’s Cadel Evans.
Valverde, Sanchez and their countryman Alberto Contador, winner of this year’s Tour de France and the 2008 Vuelta, were all present at Wednesday’s presentation.
“It’s a Vuelta that looks exciting but also very, very hard,” said Valverde, who also expressed his delight that stages six and seven of the race will run through his home region, Murcia.
“It’s a beautiful Vuelta, for the spectator,” said Contador.
Contador, who is tied to Astana for one more season, said he would not make a decision over his participation in the race until May or June but admitted he would be disappointed to miss out for a second successive year.
Former riders such as Frenchmen Bernard Hinault and Bernard Thevenet were also present for the course unveiling.
Race director Javier Guillen conceded that the global financial crisis had made it “difficult to find locations” for the stages.