Commentary of the stage
After a quiet day, the riders intent on winning the overall Vuelta have one of their decisive tests: the first individual time trial. Ciudad Real offers a 42.5 kilometre course with not even a single slope to force a change of the pace or the racers’ posture over the handlebar, making it a perfect setting for the great cyclists.
The average speed predicted for the winner should be around 50 kilometres in a stage where the climbers know they are going to lose time and start off with one goal in mind: limit the loss.
History: The Vuelta came to Ciudad Real for the first time in 1974, an experience that was repeated only two years ago. With the victory of José Luis Arrieta in 2006, the residents of this city experienced a spectacle that will again be in front of their eyes in 2008.
The average speed predicted for the winner should be around 50 kilometres in a stage where the climbers know they are going to lose time and start off with one goal in mind: limit the loss.
History: The Vuelta came to Ciudad Real for the first time in 1974, an experience that was repeated only two years ago. With the victory of José Luis Arrieta in 2006, the residents of this city experienced a spectacle that will again be in front of their eyes in 2008.