Too brutal for sprinters: Teams prepare their climbers for mountainous Vuelta a España

Big sprint names are few and far between in the Vuelta a España start list, with 10 summit finishes on the cards

in action during Stage 11 of the 2015 Vuelta Espana

(Image credit: Watson)

The 2016 Vuelta a España, starting Saturday in Galicia, features little for the sprinters, making teams leave home their fast men for climbers and classification riders.

None of the sprint stars will line up in this year’s three-week grand tour, preferring instead a combination of the Cyclassics Hamburg and the Tour of Britain.

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1