The Vuelta a España 2023 begins on Saturday 26 August, with 176 riders across 22 teams set to take to the start line in Barcelona for the 78th edition of the race, before concluding in the Spanish capital of Madrid, on Sunday 17 September.
Many teams are now announcing their lineups for the Vuelta a España 2023 route, with many of the key contenders for GC already confirmed to be on the start list.
They include Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step), who became Belgium's first Grand Tour winner in 44 years when he won last year's race. Like many of the riders at this year's Vuelta, he comes to Spain hot on the heels of the World Championships. The Belgian was unable to successfully defend his title, finding the criterium-like Glasgow course too explosive for his liking.
Also named is three-time Vuelta winner Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), who will be challenging for a second Grand Tour victory this year after winning the Giro d'Italia in June. That race saw him sweep the rug from underneath Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) on the penultimate day's mountain time trial.
Roglič won the race three years running – 2019, 20 and 21; should he win a fourth, he would be in a club of only two riders (Roberto Heras being the other). However, he will have to contend with the politics of racing alongside Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard no less, who is co-leader. They also have a strong team including Sepp Kuss and Robert Gesink.
Welshman Thomas has also been named, and would enjoy nothing more than being able to turn the tables after his Giro heartbreak. However, the super-hilly nature of year's Vuelta could make that a stretch too far. Expect him to challenge for the top-five though, or even the podium.
Enric Mas (Movistar) and Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), who shared the podium with Evenepoel last year in second and third place respectively, will also be present on the start line in Barcelona. Both home riders, Mas in particular will feel like he has waited long enough for his turn on the top step, having finished second not just last year but in 2018 and 2021 too.
Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), who finished second here in 2020, has also been named. He was last year's king of the mountains winner too, and may have half an eye on that competition. Elsewhere, how about Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) to complete the full set, having won the KoM jerseys at the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, this year and in 2019 respectively.
Vuelta a España 2023 start list
AG2R-Citroën
GODON Dorian (Fra)
CHEREL Mikaël (Fra)
VENDRAME Andrea (Ita)
BOUCHARD Geoffrey (Fra)
LAPEIRA Paul (Fra)
TOUZÉ Damien (Fra)
WARBASSE Larry (USA)
PRODHOMME Nicolas (Fra)
Alpecin-Deceuninck*
DE BONDT Dries (Bel)
OSBORNE Jason (Ger)
GHYS Robbe (Bel)
BALLERSTEDT Maurice (Ger)
Arkéa-Samsic
VAUQUELIN Kévin (Fra)
RODRÍGUEZ Cristián (Spa)
GESBERT Élie (Fra)
RIES Michael (Lux)
OWSIAN Łukasz (Pol)
HOFSTETTER Hugo (Fra)
LEANOIS Kévin (Fra)
LE BERRE Mathis (Fra)
Astana Qazaqstan
DE LA CRUZ David (Spa)
DOMBROWSKI Joe (USA)
PRONSKIY Vladimir (Kaz)
ROMO Javier (Esp)
SÁNCHEZ Luis León (Esp)
BATTISTELLA Samuele (Ita)
FELLINE Fabio (Ita)
ZEITS Andrey (Kaz)
Bahrain Victorious
POELS Wout (Ned)
BUITRAGO Santiago (Col)
CARUSO Damiano (Ita)
LANDA Mikel (Esp)
GOVEKAR Matevž (Slo)
GRADEK Kamil (Pol)
SÜTTERLIN Jasha (Ger)
TIBERI Antonio (Ita)
Bora-Hansgrohe*
VLASOV Aleksandr (Rus)
HIGUITA Sergio (Col)
ZWIEHOFF Ben (Ger)
KÄMNA Lennard (Ger)
VAN POPPEL Danny (Ned)
UIJTDEBROEKS Cian (Bel)
Cofidis*
LASTRA Jonathan (Spa)
HERRADA Jesús (Spa)
dsm-firmenich
MILESI Lorenzo (Ita)
BARDET Romain (Fra)
COMBAUD Romain (Fra)
DAINESE Alberto (Ita)
FLYNN Seann (GBr)
HAMILTON Chris (Aus)
ONLEY Oscar (GBr)
POOLE Max (GBr)
EF Education-EasyPost*
BISSEGGER Stefan (Swi)
VAN DEN BERG Marijn (Ned)
CARAPAZ Richard (Ecu)
CARTHY Hugh (GBr)
PICCOLO Andrea (Ita)
CARR Simon (GBr)
Groupama-FDJ
GRÉGOIRE Romain (Fra)
MARTINEZ Lenny (Fra)
MOLARD Rudy (Fra)
WATSON Samuel (GBr)
ASKEY Lewis (GBr)
STORER Michael (Aus)
GERMANI Lorenzo (Ita)
DAVY Clément (Fra)
Ineos Grenadiers
THOMAS Geraint (GBr)
DE PLUS Laurens (Bel)
ARENSMAN Thymen (Ned)
GANNA Filippo (Ita)
BERNAL Egan (Col)
CASTROVIEJO Jonathan (Esp)
FRAILE Omar (Esp)
HEIDUK Kim (Ger)
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
HERREGODTS Rune (Bel)
VAN POPPEL Boy (Ned)
TAARAMÄE Rein (Est)
THIJSSEN Gerben (Bel)
COSTA Rui (Por)
JOHANSEN Julius (Den)
PAGE Hugo (Fra)
GOOSSENS Kobe (Bell)
Jayco-AlUla
ENGELHARDT Felix (Ger)
ZANA Filippo (Ita)
DUNBAR Eddie (Irl)
BERHE Welay Hagos (Eth)
SOBREBRO (Ita)
SCOTSON Callum (Aus)
HEPBURN (Aus)
MAAS Jan (Ned)
Jumbo-Visma
ROGLIČ Primož (Slo)
VINGEGAARD Jonas (Den)
KUSS Sepp (USA)
KELDERMAN Wilco (Ned)
VAN BAARLE Dylan (Ned)
VALTER Attila (Hun)
GESINK Robert (Ned)
TRATNIK Jan (Slo)
Lidl-Trek
MOLLEMA Bauke (Ned)
ABERASTURI Jon (Spa)
LÓPEZ Juan Pedro (Spa)
GHEBREIGZABHIER Amanuel (Eri)
BERNARD Julien (Fra)
MOSCA Jacopo (Ita)
THEUNS Edward (Bel)
VERGAERDE Otto (Bel)
Movistar
MAS Enric (Spa)
VERONA Carlos (Spa)
LAZKANO Oier (Esp)
RUBIO Einer Augusto (Col)
GARCÍA CORTINA Iván (Esp)
Oliveira Nelson (Por)
ARCAS Jorge (Esp)
Soudal-Quick Step
ČERNÝ Josef (Cze)
EVENEPOEL Remco (Bel)
VERVAEKE Louis (Bel)
CATTANEO Mattia (Ita)
HIRT Jan (Cze)
KNOX James (GBr)
PEDERSEN Casper (Den)
SERRY Pieter (Bel)
UAE Team Emirates
VINE Jay (Aus)
AYUSO Juan (Spa)
ALMEIDA João (Por)
SOLER Marc (Spa)
OLIVEIRA Rui (Por)
OLIVEIRA Ivo (Por)
MOLANO Juan Sebastián (Col)
FISHER-BLACK Finn (NZl)
Lotto-Dstny (PRT)
KRON Andreas (Den)
VAN EETVELT Lennert (Bel)
MENTEN Milan (Bel)
MONIQUET Sylvain (Bel)
DE GENDT Thomas (Bel)
SEPÚLVEDA Eduardo (Arg)
DRIZNERS Jarrad (Aus)
GRIGNARD Sébastien (Bel)
TotalEnergies (PRT)
OURSELIN Paul (Fra)
CRAS Steff (Bel)
BONNET Thomas (Fra)
DOUBEY Fabien (Fra)
JOUSSEAUME Alan (Fra)
LATOUR Pierre (Fra)
SOUPE Geoffrey (Fra)
VAN GESTEL Dries (Bel)
Burgos-BH (PRT)*
Caja Rural (PRT)
BARRENETXEA Jon (Esp)
AULAR Orluis (Col)
BARCELÓ Fernando (Esp)
BALDERSTONE Abel (Esp)
NICOLAU Joel (Esp)
CEPEDA Jefferson Alveiro (Ecu)
SCHLEGEL Michal (Cze)
GONZÁLEZ David (Esp)
* denotes unconfirmed lineups
