The Vuelta a España has increasingly become something of a land of second chances. Unlike the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, few riders build their entire seasons around the Spanish Grand Tour, and so it can represent an opportunity to make up for lost time. Cyclingnews picks 10 riders who, for one reason or another, have not enjoyed the 2018 season they, or their teams and teammates, had hoped for, and will be out to make amends between Málaga and Madrid.
Rigoberto Urán (EF Education First-Drapac)
Poor Rigoberto Urán. One minute he's finishing second overall to Chris Froome at the Tour de France, and then the next, a mere 12 months later, he's sprawled on the cobbles of stage 9 at this year's race, his Tour challenge all but over.
"That's bike racing," chirrups everyone, and indeed it is, but now Urán heads to the Vuelta a España to try to make amends.
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It's been a lean season for the EF Education First-Drapac team, with the 31-year-old Urán having taken two of the American outfit's four wins so far in 2018.The Colombian won a stage at the Colombia Oro y Paz in February, and then appeared to be coming to form nicely with a stage victory at the Tour de Slovenie ahead of the Tour de France.
Sixth place at the Clásica San Sebastián in early August indicated that Urán was recovered from the injuries he sustained just 30km from the finish of the cobbled Tour stage to Roubaix - he would lose more time the next day to Le Grand Bornand, and finally quit the race two days later, having been unable to bounce back. But San Sebastián was the last time that he raced, and so he goes to the Vuelta start in Málaga on Saturday as somewhat of an unknown quantity.
The opening-stage individual time trial will be a crucial opportunity for Urán to lay down a marker and show that he's ready to win his first Grand Tour. Handy against the clock, he could do a lot worse than win the stage to help get the EF-Drapac win tally rolling.
Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott)
Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data)
Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin)
Nairo Quintana (Movistar)
Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe)
Richie Porte (BMC)
Fabio Aru (UAE Team Emirates)
Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ)
Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis)
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/last-chance-saloon-10-riders-who-need-a-result-at-the-vuelta-a-espana
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