NOT TO MISS
CERATIZIT CHALLENGE BY LA VUELTA 2-5 Sep | Spain | 2.WWT
What began as a bolt-on to the Vuelta a España, just as La Course was to the Tour de France, has now become a substantial race in its own right. The Ceratizit Challenge is even expanding to become a four-day stage race, with two hilly stages, a mountain time trial, and a sprint stage. Taking place entirely in Galicia, the race will be a great opportunity for the verdant region to show itself off. It will run concurrently with the Vuelta, with the fourth and final stage happening on the same day as the stage 21 time trial in the men’s race. The time trial might be just 7.3km long, but the 400m of altitude gain means that it could be decisive in the race for the overall title, which has been won by Lisa Brennauer in the last two editions. The Challenge is clearly important to her team’s sponsor, Ceratizit-WNT, but expect Annemiek van Vleuten to also be very motivated to do well, in her first season with Spanish team Movistar. With two hilly stages either side of that time trial, the race should be won by a rider who excels at climbing.