This year is no longer and ten years have passed since a Spanish cyclist climbed to the top of the La Vuelta podium and be crowned in the Spanish round. The last time was in 2014 in victory of Albert Contadorthe third on his record, after 2012 and 2008.
Since then there have been ten different winners of six different nationalities: Italian in 2015 with Fabio AruColombian in 2016 with Nairo Quintana, British in 2017 and 2018 with Chris Froome and Adam YatesSlovenian with Primoz Roglic in 2019, 2020, 2021 and this year, Belgian with Remco Evenepoel in 2022 and American last year with Sepp Kuss.
And in these ten years there have been four in which no Spanish cyclist has been on the podium of Madrid. It was in 2026, in 2017, 2020 and 2023.
The Spanish cyclists who have been on the brink of glory the most times are Joaquim ‘Purito’ Rodríguez in 2015 with the Italian victory Fabio Aru, Enric Mas up to three times, in 2018, 2021 and 2022, and Alejandro Valverde in 2019 in the first victory of Primoz Roglic.
Spanish cycling’s drought at La Vuelta also occurs at other three-week major cycling tours. In it Giro d’Italia the last champion of the country is Vincenzo Nibali in 2016, and it’s even harsher on Tour de Francesince the success of Bernard Hinault In 1985 no French cyclist embraced glory in Paris.
Source: La Verdad
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