Vuelta a España 2020 to open with team time trial and two road stages in Netherlands

The 2020 Vuelta a España will open with a 23.7km team time trial and two road stages in the Netherlands.

Organisers have confirmed details of the opening three stages as the race plans for only its fourth start abroad in its history.

Utrecht, 40km south of Amsterdam, will host the first TTT stage before the race starts in ‘s-Hertogenbosch on stage two and Breda for stage three.

The city will become the first in history to host all three Grand Tours.

CEO of the race, Javier Guillén said: “La Vuelta 2020 will be the 75th edition of our cycling Tour so we wanted a special start.

“We could, with the Netherlands as a cycling country and Utrecht as a starting place, (first city in the world that hosts all three major cycling tours), give the Vuelta a unique touch.”

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Stage one will be a 23.7 TTT starting and finishing in Utrecht, travelling through the city centre and alongside the oldest cycle path in the Netherlands.

The second will start in the historic centre of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, south of Utrecht.

After a hilly ridge known as Utrechtse Heuvelrug, with stunning views of the landscape the stage then finishes with a sprint at the Utrecht Science Park after 183km.

Stage three is a 194km run starting and finishing in Breda, departing from the historic castle.

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The race finishes in front of the Chassé theatre.

Mayor of Breda, Paul Depla said: “We will make the Vuelta 20 into one big party for the cities and regions.

“Not just along the circuit itself, but also in the run up to the start of the Vuelta, the cities and provinces will be coloured red.”

This will only be the fourth time the Vuelta has started outside of Spain, and the second Netherlands start after Assen in 2009.

The 2019 edition of the race will start on home soil in Alicante, starting with a time trial in Torrevieja.