La Vuelta is ‘suited perfectly’ to Simon Yates – so can Brit win second title? And what of Remco Evenepoel?

This year’s Vuelta is “suited perfectly” to Simon Yates (BikeExchange-Jayco), says Eurosport expert Adam Blythe, as the Brit targets a second title in Spain.

Yates has struggled to recapture the form that propelled him to the 2018 Vuelta and within a whisker of the Giro d’Italia in the same year, failing to finish three of his last four Grand Tours.

He is again among the favourites in Spain, although three-time champion Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and fancied youngster Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) grabbed most of the attention in the build-up.

Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ) sits in the red jersey after five stages following Jumbo’s decision to let it go on Wednesday, with Roglic leading the group of fancied riders at 4’09” and Evenepoel and Yates at 4’36 and 5’00” respectively.

Blythe and Dan Lloyd expect the individual time trial on Stage 10 – a 30.9km run from Elche to Alicante – to be pivotal in the battle for red, with the former pointing to Yates’ improved skills against the clock.

“We always forget with Simon his time trial performances, he’s going like a rocket in time trials at the minute,” said Blythe.

“With him, he’s not quite there with Roglic and Remco, but he’s not that far off.

“It’s a very good Vuelta for him and another good chance to win it again if he can. It’s almost suited perfectly to his attributes.”

Meanwhile, Evenepoel arrived at the Vuelta as second favourite with most bookies despite failing to finish a Grand Tour after his implosion on debut at the 2021 Giro – although that came after a nine-month lay-off following his horror crash at the 2020 Il Lombardia.

Evenepoel has shown impressive form this season, having won Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the Tour of Norway and Clasica San Sebastian.

“I really hope we have a brilliant Remco Evenepoel at this race,” said Lloyd.

“One of the main reasons I say that is because if you take him out of the equation, if he’s not as good as we’re hoping he will be, Roglic has always got that time trial, that weapon in his pocket compared to the likes of Yates and Carapaz and other riders going for the GC here.

“If Remco looks strong on these climbs and sticks with Primoz Roglic, Roglic won’t be certain by any means of beating him in the individual time trial that we’ve got to come and that will make it really interesting.”

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