By David Hunter

Hipódromo de la Zarzuela > Madrid 124.2km

We end with a sprint.

 

The usual finish in Madrid, nothing much to say about the route.

Finale

Wide roads help the riders who lose positions in the corners, but you must be in position for the final U-turn with just over 1km to go. The final kilometre can be messy, at this point of a grand tour most riders are tired and the lead out isn’t as strong as normal.

Weather

A little bit grey, with a chance of some rain. The sun should be out for the finish, hopefully the roads stay dry.

Contenders

Sam Bennett – he’s got one stage win, and I think he should have two. QuickStep have the best sprint train in the race, it is long and very strong. Without a GC rider, they will have five men to guide Bennett in the closing kilometres. The power of Cavagna is crucial, he ensures they’ll hit the front with 2km to go. Then it’s over to Steimle, Štybar and Mørkøv to do the rest. This is a stage they have won for three consecutive years, with Trentin, Viviani and Jakobsen. Can they go for number four?

Pascal Ackermann – his train is fairly strong, especially Schwarzmann and Selig. He “won” stage 9, but in reality he was well beaten. It would be some turnaround if he can take this stage.

Jasper Philipsen – he’s enjoyed a very good race. He almost won stage 4, but Bennett just passed him on the line, but he got his win on Thursday, winning a very demanding stage. The Belgian is a fast sprinter, but to beat Bennett and Ackermann he needs to start in a good position. His sprint train is fast, but inexperienced. If they get it right, he can challenge for the win.

Magnus Cort – won here back in 2016, but he rarely challenges in full sprints these days.

Max Kanter – the young German is a quick sprinter, but he doesn’t have a sprint train to help. With just Jasha Sütterlin to guide, the best he can hope for is a top 5.

Thank You

It’s been a funny old year. The Covid crisis had a huge impact on the cycling season, but given how many people have died, we shouldn’t complain. The previews have gone from strength to strength, it really is humbling to think how many people read them. As ever, a massive thanks to Pablo and the team for all the editing and translating. I’ll be back in 2021, hopefully we get some racing in February.

Prediction Time

Got to be another win for Sam Bennett, what a year he’s had.

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19 thoughts on “Vuelta España 2020 – Stage 18 Preview

  1. Thank you so much for all your excellent previews and insights…. You’re a real pleasure to read.

  2. A huge thanks for your work and passion on these reviews. They really do, as you said earlier, help me appreciate the day’s racing — the tactics, the weather, the quirks of the roads, the lesser known riders who might get a big result. Cheers!

  3. Waving back another gt, thanks for the excellent analysis, the passion, everything…

  4. Likewise as other readers, I go right to your column to receive great info about the coming stage. Thanks.

  5. Warm thank you !!! Been reading EVERY preview for the last 4 years: a pleasure ! It would be nice to add a mini-paragraph about your input after the race … and any stats about your prédiction accuracy ?? haha

  6. Thanks for the Vuelta, I enjoyed it from start to finish. Supported Roglic greatwin

  7. Great previews. Couple of questions. Who was rider of 2020 and who was breakthrough rider of 2020. It’s close for rider of the year but breakthrough star I really liked what Marc Hirshi did was on fire

  8. Thanks for your work throughout the season. It’s my first port of call for each day.

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