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Vuelta a Espana

VeloNews Events Vuelta a Espana
Vuelta a Espana

Vuelta Photo Essay: Feeling the heat in mountainous week 1

The Vuelta kicks off with plenty of mountaintop finishes, attacks from Alberto Contador, and a dominant Chris Froome.

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2017
Set to retire at the end of this year’s Vuelta a Espana, Alberto Contador was greeted at the team presentation with a video tribute to his long and storied career. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
The 2017 Vuelta a España commenced in the ancient Provençal — Catalan — Roman city of Nîmes, France, where riders tried to protect themselves from the harsh sun and oppressive heat as they warmed up for their 13.7km team time trial. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
The Team Sky compound was surrounded by fans three and four deep in Nîmes before they took to the start house. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
BMC Racing used its experience and precision to take victory in the opening TTT. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Alberto Contador started his farewell Vuelta a España in Nîmes under heavy security forces, as a terror attack in Barcelona had rocked the Spanish nation just days prior. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
The Arena des Nimes served as part of the course in the stage 1 TTT, with the teams passing through the center of the Roman ampitheater full of fans. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Rohan Dennis was lauded by his BMC Racing teammates onstage after he donned the leader’s jersey in Nîmes. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
BMC Racing started stage 2 with all the leaders jerseys in their camp as the riders lined up outside the Arena des Nimes. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Stage 2 traversed the marshy coastal roads along the French seaside en route to Gruissan. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Yves Lampert escaped the sprinters inside the last kilometer to take victory and the overall lead after in stage 2. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Belgian phenom Yves Lampaert celebrated his first grand tour victory in Gruissan on stage 2. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
French fans waited patiently for autographs outside the Ag2r-La Mondiale team bus in Prades on stage 3. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
As early as stage 3, the efforts of Team Sky could be seen controlling the race as the peloton had finally reeled in the breakaway on the Alto de la Comella, less than 10km before the finale in Andorra la Vella. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
On stage 3 in Andorra, Alberto Contador had fallen off the baclk of the lead group of favorites, leaving fans and critics questioning his form. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
After a challenging course and a series of difficult climbs with a fast descent into Andorra la Vella, it was Vincenzo Nibali that got the satge win ahead of all the race favorites. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Only three stages in, the heat and the terrain started to take its toll on the riders. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Rafal Majka was hoping good form heading into La Vuelta would bring redemption after a disastrous Tour de France, but it was not to be as the Polish rider and others were hit with stomach problems. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Matteo Trentin took a breather after sealing the victory on stage 4 in Tarragona. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
LottoNL-Jumbo won the prize for most epic bike porn at the Vuelta with their immaculate Bianchi lineup at the stage start in Benicàssim. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Team Sky lead the chase at the front of the pack as the peloton rolled over the category 3 Alto de Cabanes during stage 5. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
In nearly perfect replication of the Tour de France, Team Sky has controlled this Vuelta, with its man Chris Froome in the leader’s jersey. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Cannondale-Drapac’s Davide Villella earned and kept the mountain points on the Vuelta’s opening mountain stages, like this one on stage 5 — the steep, leg-breaking climb of Ermita de Santa Lucia. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
Alexey
After a long breakaway effort, Alexey Lutsenko held on to take the stage win at Alcossebre in the 2017 Vuelta. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Chris Froome, Chavez, Zakarin, Contador, and others tackled the near 20 percent gradient of the climb up Ermita de Santa Lucia. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
After a horrible performance on the stage to Andorra Alberto Contador bounced back showing signs of his old self with an aggressive climb to Alcossebre, leading in Chris Froome and a select group. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Nicholas Roche has been riding like a sleeper GC contender, after the opening week, sitting in third overall. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Chris Froome settled into his customary post-stage cool-down before the podium ceremony in a corner of solitude away from the masses. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
The Vuelta is really known for two things, crazy mountaintop finishes and the intense heat, both of which have been in abundance this year already. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Flanked by loyal teammates, Chris Froome descended the Puerto del Oronet before the climb up Puerto del Garbi on stage 6. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Team Sky has kept its leader Chris Frrome near the front and out of trouble so far in this Vuelta. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
A palm tree-lined run-in greeted the three-man breakaway as Lotto-Soudal’s Tomasz Marczynski stole the win in Sagunt. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Quick-Step Floors’s Enric Mas congratulated fellow breakaway companion Tomasz Marczynski on his win in Sagunt. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
With his form coming back Alberto Contador was showing a renewed spark in this Vuelta. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
American national champion Larry Warbasse sought refuge from the sun and heat in the village depart along with riders from BMC. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
The race course climbed up through the old city of Cuenca as spectators and locals lined the piazza waiting for the peloton. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Race leader Chris Froome had a battalion of Sky teammates at the front of the peloton as they charged up the cobbled climb of Alto del Castillo. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Cannondlae-Drapac’s GC rider Michael Woods was quoted as saying he “felt like Whitney Houston in ‘The Bodyguard’ this past week.” He was humbled to ride alongside cycling legends Chris Froome and Alberto Contador. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Team Sky maintained its control of the race in defense of team leader Chris Froome as the race neared the end of the first week of racing. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Rafal Majka and Julian Alaphilippe both had something to prove as they attacked out of the breakaway at 5km from the finish on the steepest section (18 percent) of the Alto Xorret de Cati. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Alberto Contador kept the attacks coming stage after stage on some of the first week’s steepest pitches. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Froome, Nibali, and van Garderen chased on the last two kilometers of the Alto Xorret de Cati after Contador attacked and took Woods and Yates with him. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Julian Alaphilippe took his first grand tour stage win at Xorret de Cati leaving his breakaway companions behind on the steep climb to the finish. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Alberto Contador continued his resurgence in the 2017 Vuelta by continuing to challenge leader Chris Froome at every opportunity. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
The heat has kept overwhelming the riders day in and day out in this year’s race. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Stage 9 rolled out under bright sun along the coast near Orihuela, south of Alicante. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
With endless mountaintop finishes, the fans found new vantage points to watch the race. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
David de la Cruz led the favorites group up the last kilometer of the Cumbre del Sol just before Froome attacked and won the stage. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Chris Froome sent a message to his rivals: He was here to win the 2017 Vuelta a Espana with a decisive victory at Cumbre del Sol. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2017
Chris Froome won the stage to Cumbre del Sol ahead of all his rivals in convincing fashion. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

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