Watch every stage of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta LIVE, FREE and in HD on SBS On Demand from September 2-5.
Starting on Thursday night (AEST), the peloton will be waved off from Cabeza de la Manzaneda mountain resort for Stage 1 with the race finishing in Santiago de Compostela, the same final destination as the men's Vuelta a Espana.
Australian Amanda Spratt and the rest of Team BikeExchange line up alongside the biggest names in women's cycling including Olympic time trial champion and Ladies Tour of Norway winner Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), reigning World champion Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) and Olympic road race Bronze medallist, Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo).
This year's edition of the race features four stages for the first time ever and is set to be considerably more difficult than last year's event, won by Lisa Brennauer (Ceratizit-WNT). Second to Brennauer in that race, Longo Borghini said she was excited by this year's course as she looks to go one better as one of the clear favourites.
"This year, there's a step forward as the race expands over four days, with as many stages, offering a varied course," she said.
"It's even more valuable. The new format has a good distribution with mountain stages, on the flat, and the 'cronoscalata' [uphill time-trial]. It's exciting. I would like to have even more stages in the coming years to make it an even bigger event that will attract even more contenders. But it's already a success."
From an Australian perspective, Lucy Kennedy (Team BikeExchange) will be riding one of the final races of her career in an event where she hopes to compete for a top result. Joining her on the startline will be Amanda Spratt (Team BikeExchange) and Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM), with Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM) also a potential starter as a reserve selection at present.
Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta - Stage 1
Estación de Montaña de Manzaneda to A Rua - 119 km - Hilly
Thursday September 2
2100 - 2215 AEST
Live streaming via SBS On Demand
A tough opening stage of ascents and leg-breaker terrain that, after a pronounced final descent, has the last flat kilometres on the banks of the Sil River to the town of La Rúa with a 500 metre straight where the selected group can play the victory at sprint or a single runner can triumph.
Profile of Stage 1 of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta. Source: ASO
Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta - Stage 2
Cronoescalada Estación de Montaña de Manzaneda - 7.3 km - Individual Time-trial
Friday September 3
1910 - 2215 AEST
Live streaming via SBS On Demand
The mountain specialists have their opportunity in the individual time-trial that ascends to Cabeza de Manzaneda and ends at the ski resort and Bike Park itself. It is a pass with little more than 7 kilometres, with a sustained slope that softens to end in a long straight where giving everything will be necessary to get the best time.
Profile of Stage 2 of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta. Source: ASO
Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta - Stage 3
Estación de Montaña de Manzaneda to Pereiro de Aguiar - 108 km - Hilly
Saturday September 4
2100 - 2215 AEST
Live streaming to SBS On Demand
Profile of Stage 3 of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta. Source: ASO
A spectacular stage in the Sil Canyon between vineyards and chestnut forests, with innumerable areas to consolidate escapes. However, the final part runs through wide and straight tracks and the last kilometres are a slight descent to the finish line located on a straight uphill, perfect for the more powerful riders in the peloton.
Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta - Stage 4
As Pontes to Santiago de Compostela - 107.5 km - Flat
Sunday September 5
2000 - 2115 AEST
Live streaming to SBS On Demand
Profile of Stage 4 of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta. Source: ASO
A stage with wide tracks that reveals in its final part the most complicated area, entering the city of Santiago in descent and crossing its avenues until the last kilometre where positioning will be vital, since just 500 metres from the finish line there will be a curve of 90º towards the upper part of the city in a foreseeable powerful sprint.
READ MORE
How to watch cycling LIVE on SBS
