With the Vuelta done plenty of UCI ranking points have been added. To save you a click the story though remains the same with Lotto-Dstny and IPT set for promotion back to the World Tour in 2026, and Astana and Arkéa-B&B Hotels facing the drop.
If you want more details and some speculation and the sound of an alarm bell or two, read on.
The Vuelta is firmly the third grand tour. Few target it at the start of the season, even those that elect to ride rarely do route reconds. In a sport where so much is measured and calculated, the Vuelta is the odd one out among grand tours with its mañana vibe. This is what makes it so good, the grand tour version of Snakes and Ladders after two versions of Monopoly in May and July.
Ben O’Connor took time early in the race but even while five minutes behind Primož Roglič seemed to ride his own race. If there was a defining moment then the Puerto de Ancares saw him drop the field and more than halve O’Connor’s lead but the story was probably more one of gradual pressure with Roglič slowly cracking O’Connor and keeping the rest at bay.
Many of today’s pro teams were founded in the 1990s by ex-pros. These founders have become part of the landscape and the teams almost institutions.
Because of time and retirement plans some of these founders are on their way out. In the case of Vincent Lavenu at Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale in recent days, brutally so and his forced exit tells us something about recent changes in the sport.
A look at the contenders and pretenders for the 2024 Vuelta a España. As ever there’s a mix of riders with stories of rehab, redemption and revenge. There’s even someone who is targetting this race.
Without Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard the Vuelta is the most open and accessible grand tour of the season and possibly beyond. Who is up for it?
The women’s road race is this Sunday and promises a duel between Belgium and the Netherlands but plenty of other riders will fancy their chances, especially after Anna Kiesenhofer’s surprise win the last time.
The men’s road race is this Saturday and it is the longest single event in the Olympics, at least six hours on the road. The format of just 90 starters and small teams promises a lively race with many riders left to fend for themselves by the time the climbs of Montmartre begin.
Mathieu van der Poel wants to add the Olympic rings to his rainbow bands but plenty can strike gold on this prestigious picture postcard circuit.
With the Tour de France done a look at the UCI World Tour promotion and relegation standings. If you want to save a click then stage wins for Astana and Arkéa-B&B Hotels didn’t make a difference. In fact they lost ground in July
We’re now approaching the opening of the transfer season when new hires for next year can be announced and this is all the more crucial with 2025 as the last of the three year cycle.
The winning moment? If Tadej Pogačar took the yellow jersey after just Stage 4, hopes of a contest were rekindled on Stage 11 Le Lioran when Jonas Vingegaard won. They were calmed on the first day in the Pyrenees to the Pla d’Adet, then extinguished the next day on the climb the Plateau de Beille. If not the winning moment this second day in the Pyrenees set up a dominant victory.
Pogačar’s imperious results will wow some and bore others and that’s fine, there are different ways to enjoy the sport. If the final result lacked suspense the daily battles to slip the UAE team’s stranglehold were gripping and many stages offered some of the best racing so far this season.
No time for post-Tour blues, the Olympics are coming. Need to know what day and what time all the cycling events in the Olympics are on? Want to have this on your phone or diary? You’ve come to the right place.
You can revert to this post or visit the Paris 2024 page via the menu at the top of the page.
The suspense has gone out the window for the yellow jersey but it should be close for the stage win.