Etixx - Quick-Step to La Vuelta a España

Etixx - Quick-Step to La Vuelta a España

Etixx - Quick-Step has announced the selection that will participate in La Vuelta a España. La Vuelta is a three-week, 3356.1km stage race and the last grand tour of the 2015 season. The race begins on August 22nd and ends on the 13th of September.

The 2015 route promises to be as challenging as ever, with 13 hilly and high mountain stages, a team time trial, an individual time trial, and six flat stages. The individual time trial of Stage 17 is 39km in length, while the team time trial, which opens La Vuelta, is a distance of 7.4 kilometers. There are a total of 44 summits at La Vuelta this year. There are two rest days.

The definitive day for the general classification may be the penultimate stage on the 12th of September. Stage 20, from San Lorenzo de El Escorial to Cercedilla, includes four Category 1 climbs, and a descent into a short uphill finale. However, La Vuelta is a difficult race and any stage can be a surprise.

"We have a nice team, a mix of experienced riders and young guys," Sport Director Rik Van Slycke said. "Our goal is to try and be a protagonist by entering into the breakaways ,and doing the best we can in any situation as the race evolves. In a race like La Vuelta any day can be something unexpected, and we will see what opportunities we can pounce on day-by-day. We will see what we can do in the final grand tour of the year."

David De La Cruz will participate, just 18 days after crashing at Tour de Pologne and breaking his collarbone.

"I'm super happy to be at the start," De La Cruz said. "Together with the team, we did everything to make sure I was recovered and ready for this race. I really wanted to be at La Vuelta. I would like to thank Etixx - Quick-Step, and the medical staff, for the trust they had in me, and for helping me to make sure the condition is there to race without any risks. Of course I don't know how I will be, as I lost a few days of training. But I think I should be OK with the preparation I had before my crash. But at an exigent race like La Vuelta, you never know. The most important thing at the moment is to be at the start and then see what the race can bring, and what I can do in supporting the team."