Preview Vuelta a Murcia 2024 | Can 'killer bees' Visma | Lease a Bike strike early success in Europe?

The Vuelta a Murcia is the first notable Spanish one-day race of this spring. When you think of Murcia, you think of Alejandro Valverde. El Imbatido won the race an impressive five times between 2004 and 2017. Since 2013, the race has not been a multi-day event, although a two-day event did take place in 2019 and 2020. In the last edition, it was Ben Turner who won a large uphill group sprint. He outsmarted Matteo Trentin and Simon Clarke, among others, and took a surprising victory.

2023 Ben Turner
2022 Alessandro Covi
2021 Jesús Antonio Soto
2020 Xandro Meurisse
2019 Luis Léon Sánchez 
2018 Luis Léon Sánchez
2017 Alejandro Valverde
2016 Philippe Gilbert 
2015 Rein Taaramäe 
2014 Alejandro Valverde

The course for the 2024 edition has seen some changes. For instance, this year's start is in Primafrio, not San Javier, and the finish in the narrow, ascending streets of Parque Torres is no more. Starting out, there's a loop to the south. This leads to a much flatter start this year, with the two hills at the beginning of the race gone. The race is also five kilometers longer than last year: a little under 199 kilometers in total. However, the Alto Collado Bermejo remains the decisive factor. This first-category climb forms a two-stage challenge with the third-category Alto de Aledo this year. The climb is not too steep but peaks above 1100 meters, presenting an early opportunity to drop the sprinters that can climb.

In total, the Aledo and the Bermejo climbs amount to about twenty kilometers of ascending roads with an average gradient of just over 4.5%. The sprinters' luck lies in the fact that this mountain pass is located in the first half of the race. Following the Bermejo is a long descent, dotted with a few bumps along the way where the sprinters might have a chance to catch up. After a longer run-up, the deep finale then features the Alto Cresta del Gallo, on a local loop near Murcia. This climb is about 4.5 kilometers long with an average gradient of 6.5%. The steep sections on this climb could be enough to drop any remaining sprinters. If that doesn't happen, a sprint with a large group is a realistic scenario, given that the last twelve kilometers are downhill or flat towards the finish in Murcia. A course with many potential scenarios, indeed!

Weather
Saturday in and around Murcia is expected to be sunny, with a very pleasant temperature of around twenty degrees Celsius. It seems like spring time already. Time to bring out the sunglasses! The wind will come from the northwest with a moderate strength. However, it is not expected to have much impact on the race.

Times
Start: approximately 10:30 am
Finish: approximately 3:30 pm

Predicting the winner on the streets of Murcia is quite challenging. The climbs along the way are not extremely difficult, but challenging enough for climbers to make a difference. However, strong riders might see their chance if they survive the climbs. Therefore, three scenarios are possible: a climber arrives solo having dropped the rest on the last climb; a small group arrives for a sprint; the strong sprinters make it to the end, and we see a sprint with a larger peloton.

The competition is fierce with a lineup of stellar cyclists. INEOS Grenadiers are bringing multiple strong contenders, including Ben Turner, who's aiming to defend his title and has a good sprint. Michal Kwiatkowski could also be a weapon in the finale. Visma | Lease a Bike heads into battle with climber Sepp Kuss. Jan Tratnik is another rider capable of excelling in such finishes, and it'll be intriguing to see what young talent like Per Strand Hagenes can achieve. UAE Team Emirates features Alessandro Covi, the winner from two years back, in their ranks. A well-prepared Tim Wellens could also make a significant impact on this course.

What's the scoop on Movistar? Davide Formolo, known for his climbing prowess and knack for placing well in classic finales, is one to watch. They've also got Will Barta, the dark horse who just last week caught the peloton off guard in Valencia. Keep an eye on Valentin Madouas from Groupama-FDJ and Ion Izagirre from Cofidis, too. Victor Lafay and Ben O'Connor from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale have a knack for finishing strong, and BORA-hansgrohe is bringing a powerhouse trio with Sergio Higuita, Daniel Martinez, and Maximilian Schachmann.

Then there's a group of sprinters. Arnaud De Lie is starting for Lotto-Dstny and had a strong showing last year in the Clasica Almeria. Arne Marit is also participating; he sprinted to a second-place finish in a stage in Valencia for Intermarché-Wanty. Matteo Trentin might be able to clinch it for Tudor Cycling, and Lewis Askey is the tough sprinter that Groupama-FDJ could rely on in a challenging finale.

Favorites: Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers), Arnaud de Lie (Lotto-Dstny)
Outsiders: Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates), Davide Formolo (Movistar), Sergio Higuita (BORA-hansgrohe), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), Jan Tratnik (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Long Shots: Per Strand Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike), Michal Kwiatkowski (INEOS Grenadiers), Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Ion Izagirre (Cofidis), Victor Lafay (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Matteo Trentin (Tudor Cycling), Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty), Will Barta (Movistar)

Saturday afternoon, Eurosport will broadcast live coverage of the Vuelta a Murcia. The race can be seen on Eurosport 1 from 2:00 PM, and about one and a half hours later, it will be clear who will succeed Ben Turner!