One of my favourite things about the Vuelta is that it is so often a springboard for the sport’s up-and-coming stars, despite it being the one grand tour not to have a best young rider competition. In the last two years the Vuelta has seen Chris Froome and Dan Martin blossom into top stage racers, Marcel Kittel win his first grand tour sprint and Argos-Shimano teammate John Degenkolb elevate himself to the major leagues with five victories. So who has impressed me so far in this race who we can expect to thrive in the future? I’ve highlighted three riders here. Continue reading →