Evenepoel faces Vingegaard, Roglic battle to retain Vuelta a Espana

Download the Sports Brief App Now to Stay Updated on Fresh Sports News!

Reigning Vuelta a Espana champion Remco Evenepoel will battle Jumbo-Visma's multiple Grand Tour winning duo Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard for his crown in the 78th edition of the race, starting Saturday.

Belgian rider Evenepoel became the youngest worldtime trial champion in Glasgow earlier this month but faces extremely strong competition for the red jersey in the last Grand Tour of the men's road cycling season.

Vingegaard has won back-to-back Tour de France titles, while only injury foiled Roglic last year at the Vuelta, after he had won the previous three editions.

The 3,153.8 kilometre race starts in Barcelonaon August 26 and ends in Madrid on September 17 after 21 stages.

This season's race begins with a team time trial, as the Vuelta always does, with 22 teams featuring 176 riders embarking on one of the season's most brutal and exciting races.

Lionel Messi's brutal celebration against Van Gaal included in EA Sports game

The first mountain stage kicks in early on just the third day of the race, while France's Col du Tourmalet in stage 13 and punishing Asturian climb Alto de l'Angliru in stage 17 offer steep challenges.

Stage 20 offers 10 categorised climbs and provides one of the last chances to gain time in the hunt for the overall win, before stage 21's short sprint finish to Madrid.

Home fans will look out for Movistar's Enric Mas and UAE Team Emirates' exciting youngster Juan Ayuso, who are both hoping to become the first Spanish Vuelta winner since Alberto Contador in 2014.

Soudal Quick-Step rider Evenepoel, also the 2022 road race world champion, had to pull out of the Giro d'Italia after testing positive for Covid-19, which