Vuelta a España facts for kids
 2023 Vuelta a España |
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| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | August–September (since 1995) |
| Region | Spain |
| English name | Tour of Spain |
| Local name(s) | Vuelta Ciclista a España |
| Nickname(s) | La Vuelta |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | UCI World Tour |
| Type | Grand Tour |
| Organiser | Unipublic Amaury Sport Organisation |
| Race director | Javier Guillén |
| History | |
| First edition | 1935 |
| Editions | 78 (as of 2023) |
| First winner |  Gustaaf Deloor (BEL) |
| Most wins |  Roberto Heras (ESP)(4 wins) |
| Most recent |  Sepp Kuss (USA) |
The Vuelta a España (which means Tour of Spain in English) is a huge annual bike race. It mostly happens in Spain, but sometimes goes into nearby countries too. This exciting race was first held in 1935. It was inspired by other famous races like the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia.
For a few years, the race couldn't happen because of the Spanish Civil War and World War II. But since 1955, it has been held every single year! Over time, the Vuelta became more popular. It got longer and started to include riders from all over the world. The Vuelta is now a UCI World Tour event. This means the best cycling teams from around the globe come to compete.
Along with the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, the Vuelta is one of cycling's three biggest races, called Grand Tours. The race lasts for three weeks. Its route changes each year, but the main parts stay the same. Riders will face at least two time trials. They will also cycle through big mountains like the Pyrenees or Cantabrian Mountains. The race always finishes in Madrid, the capital of Spain. Modern Vueltas have 21 daily stages. These stages are spread over 23 days, with two days for rest.
The Vuelta used to be held in spring, usually in April. But in 1995, it moved to September. This change helped it avoid clashing with the Giro d'Italia, which is in May. Now, the Vuelta is often a warm-up for the UCI Road World Championships. These championships used to be in October, but sometimes they are in August now. The 2020 race was held in October because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
All stages are timed. A rider's time for each stage is added to their previous times. The rider with the fastest total time is the race leader. They get to wear the special red jersey. While the overall leader gets the most attention, there are other exciting contests:
- The points classification is for sprinters (fast riders).
- The mountains classification is for climbers (riders good on hills).
- The team classification is for the best overall team.
There's also a women's version of the race called La Vuelta Femenina. It started in 2023 and is part of the UCI Women's World Tour.
Contents
History of the Vuelta
How it Started
The first bike races in Spain were local events. Bicycle makers from Eibar helped organize them. One early race was called the Grand Prix of the Republic.
In 1935, a former cyclist named Clemente López Doriga helped start the Vuelta. He worked with Juan Pujol, who ran the Informaciones newspaper. They wanted to boost newspaper sales, just like the Tour de France did for its newspaper.
The first Vuelta had 50 riders. They cycled 3,411 km (2,119 miles) in just 14 stages. This meant they rode over 240 km (149 miles) each day! The first stage went from Madrid to Valladolid. A Belgian rider, Gustaaf Deloor, won the first race. He also won the second Vuelta in 1936.
After these first two races, the Vuelta stopped because of the Spanish Civil War. It started again in 1941. Most riders were Spanish then. This year also saw the first time trial in the Vuelta. Julián Berrendero won that year and again in 1942. He was also the "King of the Mountains" for three years in a row.
The race stopped again because of World War II and money problems. In 1945, a newspaper took over the race. Delio Rodríguez won that year. The points classification was also introduced then, but it wasn't always used until 1955.
The Vuelta didn't happen again until 1955. Then, a Basque newspaper called El Correo Español-El Pueblo Vasco started organizing it. Since then, the Vuelta a España has been held every year. The race now happens in August and September. Before, it was in April and May. More riders from different countries started joining the race too.
The Vuelta Grows (1960s-1970s)
The Vuelta became more famous, attracting international cycling stars. Riders from Italy, France, Germany, and the Netherlands started winning. In 1963, Jacques Anquetil won. He was the first rider to win all three Grand Tours (Vuelta, Tour de France, and Giro d'Italia). Later, Felice Gimondi (1968), Eddy Merckx (1973), Bernard Hinault (1978, 1983), Alberto Contador (2008), Vincenzo Nibali (2010), and Chris Froome (2017) also achieved this amazing feat.
Antonio Karmany and Julio Jiménez each won the mountain classification three times in a row. In 1965, Rik Van Looy was the first to win the points classification twice.
In the mid-1960s, the organizers faced money issues. But the races still happened. In 1968, one stage had to be canceled due to problems, but no one was hurt.
The 1970s began with a win by Luis Ocaña, a top international cyclist. José Manuel Fuente won twice in 1972 and 1974. This made him the third rider to win the Tour of Spain more than once.
In 1973, Eddy Merckx won the Vuelta easily. He won six stages and almost all the special awards. Freddy Maertens had a similar amazing performance in 1977. He won thirteen stages and most of the special awards.
In the mid-1970s, Andrés Oliva won the "King of the Mountains" title three times. French rider Bernard Hinault became a big star in 1978. He also won his first Tour de France that year. The last stage of the 1978 Vuelta was stopped because of protests.
In 1979, a new company called Unipublic took over the race. With more advertising and TV broadcasts, the Vuelta became even more popular.
Modern Vuelta (1980s-Present)
In the early 1980s, José Luis Laguía won the mountain classification five times. Sean Kelly won the points classification four times.
In 1982, the winner, Ángel Arroyo, was disqualified for breaking rules. His victory went to Marino Lejarreta. This was a rare event in the race's history.
The Lagos de Covadonga climb became a famous stage in 1983. It's now one of the most iconic climbs in the Vuelta. In 1984, Éric Caritoux won the Vuelta by only six seconds. This was the smallest winning difference ever!
The late 1980s saw Colombian cyclists do very well, especially in the mountains. Riders like Lucho Herrera (1987 winner) became famous. Pedro Delgado also won twice (1985 and 1989). The 1988 race started in the Canary Islands.
The early 1990s were dominated by Swiss rider Tony Rominger. He was the first to win the race three times in a row (1992-1994).
The 50th Vuelta in 1995 was when the race moved to September. This helped attract more top riders. That year, Laurent Jalabert won all the main awards. He also won the points classification four times, matching Sean Kelly's record.
In 1997, the race started outside Spain for the first time, in Lisbon, Portugal. The tough Alto de L'Angliru climb was first used in 1999. It's known for its incredibly steep parts, some as steep as 23.6 percent!
The early 2000s were marked by Roberto Heras. He won the Vuelta three times, and then a fourth time in 2005. However, he was later disqualified for rule breaking. After a legal process, his win was given back to him in 2012. In 2008, the company that runs the Tour de France bought part of Unipublic.
In 2008, Spanish rider Alberto Contador won. He also won the Giro d'Italia that year. This made him the first Spaniard to win all three Grand Tours. In 2009, the Vuelta started in the Netherlands. Alejandro Valverde won that year.
Vincenzo Nibali won in 2010. He didn't win any stages, but he was always near the top. The 2011 Vuelta was the first in 33 years to visit the Basque Country. Juan José Cobo originally won, but his win was later removed for rule breaking. Chris Froome was then named the winner.
In 2012, Alberto Contador won his second Vuelta. He won a stage with a solo attack. In 2013, 41-year-old American Chris Horner surprised everyone by winning. He became the oldest rider to win a Grand Tour!
The 2014 race had many strong riders. Alberto Contador won his third Vuelta. He had crashed out of the Tour de France earlier that year. Chris Froome finished second.
The 2015 race was also very competitive. Fabio Aru won his first Grand Tour. Nairo Quintana won the 2016 edition. He became the second Colombian to win the Vuelta.
The 2017 edition started in Nîmes, France. Chris Froome won, making him the third rider to win both the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year. He also won the points and combination classifications. In 2018, British rider Simon Yates won his first Grand Tour.
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Primož Roglič won the 2019 Vuelta, becoming the first Slovenian to win a Grand Tour. The 2020 Vuelta a España was shorter (18 stages) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Roglič won again, in a very close race. He then won a third time in 2021, dominating the race. He is only the third rider to win three Vueltas in a row. The 2022 Vuelta a España was won by Belgian Remco Evenepoel. It started in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Race Classifications
The leader of the overall race wears a special red jersey. This is like the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. Other jerseys are given to leaders of different competitions:
- The best climber (King of the Mountains) wears a blue-on-white polka dot jersey.
- The leader of the points competition wears a green jersey.
Over the years, the colors of these jerseys have changed. The red jersey for the overall leader started as orange in 1935. It was yellow for a long time, like the Tour de France. In 1998, it became a deeper gold color. Finally, in 2010, it changed to red.
Overall Winner (General Classification)
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The rider with the lowest total time wins the general classification. They get to wear the red jersey.
Roberto Heras from Spain holds the record for most wins with four. Spanish riders have won the Vuelta 30 times out of 66 races. Riders from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Colombia, Ireland, Russia, Kazakhstan, the United States, and Great Britain have also won.
Mountain Climber (Mountains Classification)
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In this classification, riders earn points for being first to the top of mountain climbs. The classification started in 1935. The leader used to wear a green jersey, then orange, and since 2010, a white jersey with blue dots.
José Luis Laguía from Spain has won this award a record five times. Other Spanish riders have also won it many times. David Moncoutié won it four times in a row, which is a record.
If a rider leads both the overall race and the mountains classification, they wear the red jersey. The mountains jersey then goes to the second-place rider in that category.
Points are given based on how hard the climb is. The hardest climb, the 'Top Alberto Fernández', gives the most points.
| Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Alberto Fernández | 20 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| High climb finish | 15 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |
| First category | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| Second category | 5 | 3 | 1 | |||
| Third category | 3 | 2 | 1 |
If riders have the same points, the one who did better on the hardest climbs gets a higher rank.
Fastest Sprinter (Points Classification)
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This classification ranks cyclists based on points they earn at the end of each stage. Points are given to the first riders to cross the finish line. The rider with the most points is the leader.
The points classification was first used in 1945. It was used again in 1955. The leader used to wear a green jersey.
Seán Kelly, Laurent Jalabert, and Alejandro Valverde all share the record for most wins, with four titles each.
Best Young Rider (Young Rider Classification)
This award goes to the best young rider based on their total time. It works just like the overall classification. The winner wears a white jersey.
Before 2019, the white jersey was for a different award called the "combination classification." Now, it's for the best young rider.
Team Classification
This award has been given out since the very first race in 1935. It recognizes the best overall team in the competition.
The Race Route and Stages
The Vuelta course usually has up to three time trials. It also includes many stages in the mountains. Since 1994, the race has almost always finished in Madrid. Other cities like Bilbao and San Sebastián were also common finish cities in the past.
The Lagos de Covadonga is one of the most important climbs in the Vuelta's history. It's 12.6 kilometers long and very steep in parts. It was first used in 1983. The Alto de L'Angliru is another very famous and difficult climb. It's 12.9 km long with parts as steep as 23.6 percent! It was first used in 1999.
Starts Abroad
Most stages are in Spain. But since the mid-1990s, the race often visits nearby countries. These include Portugal, Andorra, and France. It has also started in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. So far, four Vueltas have started outside Spain. The 2022 Vuelta a España started in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Stage Wins
Stage Wins per Rider
17 riders have won 10 or more individual stages.
| Rank | Name | Country | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delio Rodríguez | ESP |
39 |
| 2 | Alessandro Petacchi |  ITA |
20 |
| 3 | Rik Van Looy | BEL |
18 |
| Laurent Jalabert |  FRA |
18 | |
| 5 | Sean Kelly |  IRL |
16 |
| 6 | Gerben Karstens |  NED |
14 |
| 7 | Freddy Maertens | BEL |
13 |
| Alejandro Valverde | ESP |
13 | |
| 9 | Domingo Perurena | ESP |
12 |
| Tony Rominger |  SUI |
12 | |
| Marcel Wüst |  GER |
12 | |
| Primož Roglič |  SLO |
12 | |
| 12 | Julián Berrendero | ESP |
11 |
| Augustin Tamames | ESP |
11 | |
| 14 | Eddy Planckaert | BEL |
10 |
| Roberto Heras | ESP |
10 | |
| John Degenkolb | GER |
10 |
Vuelta Records
- Most Vuelta wins: Roberto Heras, 4 times.
- Most stage wins: Delio Rodríguez, 39 stages.
- Most stage wins in one race: Freddy Maertens in 1977, 13 stages.
- Most time trial wins: Abraham Olano, Alex Zülle, and Tony Rominger, 6 each.
- Most wins by country: Spain, 32 wins.
- Most days as leader: Alex Zülle, 48 days.
- Most mountains classification wins: José Luis Laguía, 5 times.
- Most points classification wins: Sean Kelly, Laurent Jalabert, and Alejandro Valverde, 4 times each.
- Largest winning difference: Delio Rodríguez over Julián Berrendero in 1945, by 30 minutes and 8 seconds.
- Smallest winning difference: Éric Caritoux over Alberto Fernández in 1984, by just 6 seconds.
- Most times participating: Íñigo Cuesta, 17 times (1994–2010).
- Youngest winner: Angelino Soler in 1961, at 21 years old.
- Oldest winner: Chris Horner in 2013, at 41 years old.
Related Events
From 2015 to 2022, a women's race called Challenge by La Vuelta was held. It was part of the UCI Women's World Tour. It started as a one-day race and grew to five stages. Some people felt it wasn't challenging enough to be called a "Grand Tour."
Starting in 2023, a new 7-day women's race, La Vuelta Femenina, is held in May.
See also
In Spanish: Vuelta a España para niños
