Vuelta a Murcia 2015 Preview
By David Hunter
Racing returns to mainland Spain for the first time in 2015. The Vuelta a Murcia is a very demanding race, covering 198.2km and covering 4 major climbs. It gives a great indication of early season form.
The race belongs to Alejandro Valverde, with 7 wins. He’s currently getting covered in sand over in Qatar, so Movistar turn to Ruben Fernandez, Ion Izagirre and Benat Intxausti.
The two cat 1 climbs are difficult: 9.4km at 5.5% and 6.5km at 6.7%. So early in the season, the riders won’t be going at Grand Tour pace but it’s going to hurt!
The race ends with a flat finish but after 1.6km at 6%. This gives the perfect opportunity for the strongest climber to win solo. The race usually ends with a solo rider taking the glory, very occasionally, we get a small sprint.
I’ve already mentioned Ruben Fernandez and he goes into the race as a favourite. Riding for Caja Rural, he was 6th here in 2014. Fresh from an outstanding performance in the Tour Down Under, where he finished 5th, he looks like the rider to beat. He’s now riding for Movistar and they are the key team in the race.
Bauke Mollema has been working hard over the winter. He wants to start well for his new team, Trek Factory Racing. Mollema is an outstanding rider and the profile looks perfect for him. He has a very fast finish and is explosive enough to distance riders on the final climb.
Daniel Navarro is a former winner of the race. The Cofidis rider had a brilliant Vuelta and is now looking to find the consistency that will elevate him in the eyes of his team and other riders. This is his opening race of the year, so form is unknown.
Astana also come with a Spanish rider as leader. LL Sanchez also had a strong start to 2015, in the TDU, finishing 13th. He is a very dangerous rider and also looking to prove himself for his new team. He’s always a danger in 1 day races.
FDJ have two options in Elissonde and Geniez. Both have won stages in the Vuelta but I’m often left disappointed with their performances. Geniez is now 26 years old, it’s time for him to start delivering on his promise.
Tiago Machado is another of the riders who competed in the TDU. Back in the World Tour, with Katusha, he’s looking very thin and fit. Machado had a brilliant 2014 and finished 12th in the TDU. This was an unlucky finish as he should have been 8th except for a crash in the final stage. I’m a big fan of Machado and this looks like a good race for him. Can he improve on his 2nd place from last year?
Having two options seems to be a theme. Caja Rural follow this! They have David Arroyo and new signing, Sergio Pardilla. Neither started the season well, in Mallorca, so I’m not sure what to expect from them. Both are capable of challenging but not winning.
CCC have just the one option: Grega Bole. Bole is enjoying a fine start to 2015, thanks to good performances in Mallorca and Dubai. He’s climbing very well and it has been known for fast men to do well here. Rojas managed to finish 5th here in 2014. If present at the end, he’ll have the fastest finish. He seems to be hitting a purple patch of form and is a very dangerous rider. He’ll be present at the end of the race, it’ll be up to the others to break him on the climbs.
The other rider worth mentioning is Marco Canola. The Italian is now riding for UnitedHealthcare, after his release from Bardiani. He won a stage in the Giro, in 2014, but the team felt he was getting too big for his boots. He started the season with a spectacular 5th in the Dubai Tour. He is a massive talent and I wouldn’t be surprised by a podium finish here.
Prediction Time
Without Valverde, the race is open. It should come down to Fernandez, Mollema, Machado, Sanchez and Canola. I think Bauke Mollema looks the best bet, as he’s been working very hard over the last couple of months.
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