Spain’s Biggest Race Gets New Dates for British Cycle Fans to Look Forward to on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca

AN international sports showcase for Spain has been given a new start date for British cycle fans to look forward to on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca.

One of the world’s top road races, La Vuelta will now start in October, after the mid-August start in the Netherlands was scrapped due to the coronavirus crisis.

There is one major drawback in that the event will clash with the last few days of another rearranged race, the Giro d’Italia.

La Vuelta will now start on October 25, meaning a five-day overlap with the Italian Grand Tour event which will begin on October 3.

That will mean that the world’s top cyclists will have to make a decision over which event to enter, with the Tour de France rescheduled to begin on August 29.

It could well be that riders may opt for a longer rest and come to Spain, rather than a brief rest and hitting the roads of Italy.

Much remains up in the air though over the very compact schedule, as the start of Le Tour falls outside the French government ruling that there will be no sports events in the country until September.

It’s highly likely though that a premium event like Le Tour would be allowed an earlier start, especially if the Covid-19 situation improves in France, and the fact it brings so much prestige to the country.

The shunting of La Vuelta means that with the Netherlands start cancelled, the race will now begin in the northern Basque region of Spain.

The race route this year very much concentrates on the north of Spain, meaning that there will be no visit from La Vuelta to the Costa Blanca this year, as has been the case in recent years.

All of the race rearrangements have been done by the sport’s world governing body.