Twenty Two Teams For The Vuelta

Twenty two teams will compete in the Vuelta a España which starts today in Benedorm.

The three week 21 stage race in its 66th edition, starts with a team time trial and will see twenty two teams competing.

First off the ramp will be Skil-Shimano who go off at 17.02 local time. They will be followed at four minute intervals by Team Garmin-Cevelo, Quickstep, Astana, Cofidis, BMC who have signed Philippe Gilbert on a three year contract, Leopard Trek, Rabobank, Vavansoleil, Radioshack, Andalucia-Caja Granada, Omega Pharma Lotto, Saxo Bank Sungard, AG2R La Mondiale who will have Ireland's Nicholas Roche in their team, Team Sky with Bradley Wiggins, Lampre, Movistar, Katusha, HTC Highroad in their last ever Grand Tour, Geox, Euskatel, and Liquigas-Cannondale.

Speaking about the starting list, Abraham Olano, the technical Director of the race said: “Any organiser always wants more. We would have been happy to welcome [Alberto] Contador or the Schlecks or whoever has shined at the Tour de France but the people who are starting the Vuelta are really good. We’ve got a dozen of riders who are strong in the hills and it’ll be a question of who limits the damage in the time trial of Salamanca on stage 10. That day, we’ll have two spectacles: the battle of the specialists with Fabian Cancellara, Tony Martin and Bradley Wiggins, and the climbers’ fight for not losing too much time from each other. The rider who can disturb the other climbers if he does a great time trial is Denis Menchov. Almost all the world’s best sprinters are here too but I believe they mostly came to prepare for the world championship because only three or four stages can possibly end up with a bunch sprint. The very few sprints on the menu will be extremely spectacular.”