LA VUELTA A ESPAÑA

La Vuelta (the Tour of Spain) has always been seen as baby brother in relation to the other two three-week Grand Tours, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. In part, this was due to Spanish isolation during the Franco era; but it was also because it took place during the Spring, thereby clashing with the Spring Classics in Belgium and the Giro in May. However, since its switch in 1995 to an August slot, it has grown in importance, with many riders using it to build up form ahead of the end-of-season World Championships (to be held in Copenhagen this year).

La Vuelta is characterised by hot weather and brutal climbs, and this year's edition was no different. Going into the second weekend, there were five riders within 20 seconds of the lead, and 20 within 3 minutes, easy to lose on a bad day in the mountains. Leading the pack was Britain's Bradley Wiggins, a former track star who has successfully made the switch to road racing. However, it all went wrong on last Sunday's finishing climb up the Angliru, just south of Oviedo. This is one of the steepest road climbs in Europe, with the last 6.5 kms averaging 13%. A couple of kilometers before the top, there is a patch where it ramps up to an average of 20%, and in some places almost 24%. Wiggins' bicycle almost stopped moving at this point, and he lost the leader's red jersey to the stage winner, journeyman Juan Jose Cobo of the Geox team. Wiggins' Sky team piled on the pressure in the final week in order to claw back the time, but Cobo hung on to win today in Madrid.

Team tactics undoubtedly played a part in Cobo's victory. The winning margin after 3,300 kms of racing was a mere 13 seconds; but not to Wiggins (who lost more than a minute and a half), but to Wiggins' Sky teammate Chris Froome. Froome, the revelation of the race, was undoubtedly the strongest man on the Sky team. But Wiggins was the designated team leader, and Froome on a number of occasions dropped back on the climbs in order to help him. Only when it was clear on the Angliru that Wiggins wasn't moving was Froome allowed to go on ahead. If he had been allowed to do so earlier, then he might well have won the race.

This was in stark contrast to Geox. The new Spanish second division team was formed around former Giro, and two-time Vuelta, winner Dennis Menchov, and former Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre. After failing to get a wildcard invitation to this year's Tour, they banked everything on a good performance at the Vuelta. However, both Menchov and Sastre are past their best, and it was clear early on that Cobo was doing much better when the road began to go upwards. By backing the in-form rider, even if it meant ditching the overall aspirations of the team's stars, Geox secured a memorable triumph in their first year of operations.

That's it for the big stage races for this year. Just the World Championships and the Autumn Classics before the cycling season ends. Plus my training rides, of course.

Walter Blotscher