With 40 categorised climbs in all, including eight summit finishes, the Vuelta a Espana will be a big late-season test for the WorldTour’s best climbers.
No less than 15 of the climbs packed in to the 69th edition of the Spanish Grand Tour are rated category one or above meaning plenty of points on offer in the race for the blue polka dot jersey.
And with a high-class field of climbers set for the race, including Joaquim Rodriguez and Colombian trio Nairo Quintana, Rigoberto Uran and Julian Arredondo, the classification is likely to be a closely-fought one.
But who will replicate 2013 winner Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) in winning the jersey this time out?
We’ve taken a closer look at some of the possible contenders over the following pages.
