Favorites stage 5 Vuelta a España 2024 | For some riders, the stage race might end here already?!
Cycling
After the first mountain test, the few remaining sprinters get another chance in the Vuelta a España on Wednesday. The stage towards Seville is the only flat stage of the race, according to the organizers, and IDLProCycling.com is here to give you all the details.
Route stage 5 Vuelta a Espana 2024
"One flat stage"—that's what it says on the Vuelta a España website. This refers to stage five, which runs from Fuente del Maestre to the capital of Andalusia: Seville. This means the route heads south all the way, with no climbs along the way. While it may not be the most thrilling stage, it's a crucial opportunity for the sprinters.
We're likely to see a scenario similar to stages two and three: a breakaway featuring the Spanish ProContinental teams, control from Alpecin-Deceuninck and Visma | Lease a Bike, and a sprint finish at the end. However, the pressure will likely be higher for some teams, as this might be the last real sprint opportunity until stage 17.
For the sprinters, it’s do-or-die on stage five, knowing that the mountains loom ahead. They’ll have an ideal finishing straight on Wednesday—a 3.5-kilometer stretch in Seville.
Climbs
No.
Times
Start: 1:25 PM local time (07:25 PM EST)
Finish: 5:19 PM local time (11.19 PM EST)
Weather stage 5 Vuelta a Espana 2024
Seville is one of the hottest cities in Europe, and temperatures are expected to soar above 35 degrees Celsius again on Wednesday. The wind will be coming from the southwest, mostly as a headwind, so it could be a long day in the saddle.
Favorites stage 5 Vuelta a Espana 2024
So far, we’ve had two sprints, and it’s clear that two riders—and their teams—are standing out. One of them is Kaden Groves from Alpecin-Deceuninck, who brought some good news on Tuesday with a contract extension with the Roodhooft brothers’ team. A win in Seville would be a nice gesture of appreciation toward his team.
Wout van Aert from Visma | Lease a Bike will definitely want to spoil that, if only to solidify his lead in the points classification. The Belgian, riding for a Dutch team, claimed his first victory since February on Monday, and it tasted sweet enough that he’ll be hungry for more in this Vuelta a España.
When looking at pure sprinter types, Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty) and Pavel Bittner (dsm-firmenich PostNL) come to mind. For both young riders, this might be the perfect chance to sneak in a victory in this Vuelta. They may not have the experience or endurance of a Groves or Van Aert, but they certainly have the raw speed.
Riders like Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) tend to thrive in slightly more challenging sprints, while Spaniards Jon Aberasturi (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Carlos Canal (Movistar), Antonio Jesus Soto, and Pau Miquel (Equipo Kern Pharma) have already shown they can mix it up. For them, a top-five finish would be a significant achievement.
So, what else do we have? C-sprinters like Arjen Livyns (Lotto-Dstny), time trial specialists like Kim Heiduk (INEOS Grenadiers) and Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), or riders looking to pull off an almost impossible breakaway attempt: Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) or Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), maybe one of you?
Favorites stage 5 Vuelta a Espana 2024, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorites: Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Outsiders: Pavel Bittner (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) and Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty)
Long shots: Jon Aberasturi (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Carlos Canal (Movistar), Antonio Jesus, Soto, Pau Miquel (Equipo Kern Pharma), Kim Heiduk (INEOS Grenadiers), Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), Victor Campenaerts, Arjen Livyns (Lotto-Dstny) and Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ)
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024