The last grand cycling tour of the year, La Vuelta ‘09, has started today with a 4km individual time trial at Assen (Netherlands). This is the most international edition of the Spanish tour as it passes through three countries: Netherlands, Belgium and of course Spain. The last year winner and recent Tour De France ‘09 winner, Alberto Contador does not participate to this edition. This will allow other cyclists to fight for the first place this year:

• Alejandro Valverde has the chance to participate to his first grand tour of the year as he could not participate in Giro and TDF because the anti-doping tribunal of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) suspended him from competing on Italian soil for two years for his role in the Operation Puerto blood doping scandal. He already won the Criterium du Dauphine Libere, the Volta Catalunya, and Klasika Primavera this season.
• Andy Schleck has showed a good form in TDF and has a strong team on his side including his brother Frank. We will see if he is capable to ride at the same level two consecutive big tours.
• Samuel Sanchez is also capable of a good result after the Olympics title won at Beijing last year.
• Liquigas has a strong team and they already have proven this in TDF. Of course the leader is Ivan Basso but both he and Roman Kreuziger can fight for the gold jersey.
• Rabobank showed us two different faces this season as they had an excellent Giro won by Denis Menchov but they did not count at all in TDF as Menchov could not ride at the level he showed us in Giro and they also lost Robert Gesink just before the mountain stages. Luckily he has recovered and we can see him in Vuelta.
• Cadel Evans comes after a disappointing TDF so this is a chance for him to save this season.
• In the absence of Alberto Contador, Astana’s number one will be Haimar Zubeldia.

Vuelta a Espana 09 will have 21 stages from 29th August to 20th September.