Favorites points classification Vuelta a Espana 2024 | Green (jersey) top favorite Wout van Aert

For several years, the Vuelta has made the points count for the green jersey, which leans more toward the sprinters. That's generous, but you must include sprint stages in the course.  That seems lacking this year, so we saw men like Mads Pedersen and Caleb Ewan opt for a different program. Nonetheless, there is a green jersey up for grabs in Madrid.

The last winners of the green jersey (points classification) Vuelta a España 

2023 Kaden Groves
2022 Mads Pedersen
2021 Fabio Jakobsen
2020 Primoz Roglic
2019 Primoz Roglic
2018 Alejandro Valverde
2017 Chris Froome
2016 Fabio Felline
2015 Alejandro Valverde
2014 John Degenkolb

Favorites points classification Vuelta a España 2024

This list was compiled based on the opinions of (former) editorial board members of IDLProCycling, who submitted their top ten contenders.

Mathias Vacek - Lidl-Trek

The first name on our list is Mathias Vacek, a firm Czech from Lidl-Trek. That formation was supposed to go to the Spanish Tour with Mads Pedersen, but eventually, the team decided to shift the composition to the different races.

Vacek is a man of all trades. He has a decent time trial in his legs, can arrive fast, and can survive a hill. Theoretically, he can collect top placings in the flat stages and move up in the breakaway stages.

This season, the youngster won almost the Baloise Belgium Tour and played a supporting role for Thibau Nys in several races. Before this Vuelta, his team reported that Vacek could also take his chances so that he might pick up a stage.

Arne Marit - Intermarché-Wanty

Did the green jersey virus now strike Intermarché-Wanty? Biniam Girmay ensured that the maillot verde went home with them on behalf of the team on a fantastic Tour de France. In the Vuelta a Espana, Arne Marit is the sprinter on duty.

The Belgian has not had a very successful year on behalf of Aike Visbeek's team but is motivated to show it in Spain (and Portugal). He proved his strength on his days with second places in Valencia and Catalonia.

Marit got a taste of the big tour work at the Giro d'Italia last season, where he even managed to come close to a stage win. With this field of sprinters in the Vuelta, a single good result could be the breakthrough he needs.

Richard Carapaz- EF Education-EasyPost

This season's Vuelta is extremely tough, automatically bringing the classification riders into the battle for the points jersey. Our (former) editors already put forward Richard Carapaz as a contender for the red, automatically making him a man who can finish close in the battle for green.

Winning seems like a dream, but you can be sure with Carapaz anyway that he will fight for every place. That is what the determined man from Ecuador always does, as he proved in the most recent Tour de France.

However, the big goal is red, so the points classification would be nothing more a secondary gain for Carapaz.

Jhonatan Narváez - INEOS Grenadiers

From one Ecuadorian to another: Jhonatan Narváez was given a chance at the Olympics by the cycling federation from the South American country in favor of Carapaz, and that did cause some friction back and forth. Not between the riders, which is just as well: they will meet again in the Vuelta.

Narváez, who left for UAE Team Emirates, relies on his punch, which could earn him a place at the front of the race for the green jersey in the Vuelta. Due to his specific qualities, he can also compete at the front in breakaway stages while occasionally positioning himself in a flat stage.

However, the 27-year-old South American seems mainly concerned with stage victories, as he managed to do in this year's Giro. There is no better farewell gift for his team, INEOS Grenadiers.

Pavel Bittner - dsm-firmenich PostNL

If you are a sprinter in form, you will return to this list. At least that's how it is for Pavel Bittner of dsm-firmenich PostNL: the 21-year-old Czech from the Dutch formation won two stages and the points classification of the Tour of Burgos, which immediately makes him one of the faster men for this Vuelta a Espana.

Bittner won't get many chances, and, with his age, it's also questionable whether he will ride out, but either way, he will want to throw himself into the stages that suit him. Those will mainly be the first nine days.

At least dsm-firmenich PostNL has let it be known that they are also pulling the Bittner card in those stages. It could be worse before the start of your first grand tour.

Primoz Roglic - Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe

Oh hey, a two-time winner of the points jersey. Primoz Roglic managed in 2019 and 2020 to take the points jersey home to Slovenia in addition to the final classification of the Vuelta, which in those years still often succeeded. Nowadays, this is already more difficult due to the changes in rules.

Not that Roglic cares: one more or one less Vuelta points jersey in his cupboard, which is of no concern to him. He and his team, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, are going for nothing less than the overall victory, and such a points classification honor is just another burden.

Still, with his time trial, punch, and uphill qualities, he is also automatically in the race for green.

Corbin Strong - Israel-Premier Tech

The sprinters traveling to this Vuelta can get over a hill. This is also the case for Corbin Strong, the New Zealander of Israel-Premier Tech. Last season, for example, he finished second to Arnaud De Lie in the GP Quebec, but this year, he prefers the Tour of Spain.

Strong extended his contract with the formation just before the Vuelta and said he would love to repay that with a stage win in the Tour of Spain. If he wants to fulfill that ambition, he will compete for the green jersey in this field.

The Kiwi will have Riley Sheehan with him as a lead-out, so Israel-Premier Tech showed its confidence in the fast rider.

Bryan Coquard - Cofidis

You can count on Bryan Coquard to compete for the points jersey in the Tour de France, but things are slightly different in the Vuelta a Espana. The Frenchman of Cofidis competed twice on the Tour of Spain and experienced two DNFs with few appealing results. At the same time, on the Tour, he rode in the top six in the points classification six times in seven participations.

The Frenchman in the French story? It could be, but for Cofidis, it is slightly different. That main sponsor has long had important business in Spain and always sends the better riders to the Vuelta.

So Coquard can deal with his Vuelta curse, just as he dealt with his WorldTour curse this year. After numerous places of honor on the Tour of Switzerland, he finally won his first World Tour victory.

Kaden Groves - Alpecin-Deceuninck

Moving on to the defending champion in the battle for green. That's Kaden Groves of Alpecin-Deceuninck, who won three stages and the points classification last year. The Belgian formation is again counting on the Australian powerhouse, returning to competition after two months without competition.

Groves is still looking for his first win of 2024. The Aussie was close to it several times in the Giro and absolutely went for the points classification but ultimately missed the mark everywhere. It is now up to him to turn the tide.

He does so without Mathieu van der Poel, who chooses a different program for the important World Championship in Zurich.

Wout van Aert - Visma | Lease a Bike

There is only one top favorite for the green jersey in this Tour of Spain: Wout van Aert of Visma | Lease a Bike. The Belgian already has the Tour jersey in his possession, so now he can add a Vuelta version, which should be quite possible with his qualities.

Van Aert starts this Tour of Spain with one explicit goal: to win a stage. Preferably, several, of course, will put him in the green. The course, with quite a few stages that are too tough for the speedy men, suits him perfectly.

Van Aert doesn't really get a lead-out on behalf of the Dutch team, but he is usually capable of getting the job done in a hectic final, so Wout comes out on top.

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Favorites general classification Vuelta a Espana 2024: Many questions and few exclamation marks regarding the red jersey