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The race will depart from the Dutch city of Utrecht this year, with the first three stages starting and finishing in the Netherlands before a rest day will allow for a transfer into Spain.
There are many notable names confirmed for this year's event, with Australian Giro d'Italia winner Jai Hindley (BORA-Hansgrohe) and runner-up Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) as well as Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) who will compete in their final Grand Tours.
Also confirmed is Belgian time trial champion Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) who will be one of the favourites for the overall classification and is looking to be in great form after a stunning solo victory at the San Sebastian Classic.
The women's race, the Challenge by La Vuelta will again feature on SBS in an extended format, with five tough stages mapped out for the top riders in the peloton alongside the final five stages of the men's race.
The Vuelta will mark the final chapter in an incredible year of cycling Grand Tours, so you won't want to miss any of the action on SBS.
Vuelta a España 2022 - LIVE on SBS and SBS On Demand
Stage 1 – 23.7km Team Time Trial - Utrecht to Utrecht
Saturday, August 20
02:25-04:50 AEST
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A very flat opening team time trial in the Netherlands that should give the specialist squads a chance to show their superiority in the discipline. The 23.7 kilometres around Utrecht starts and finishes in the city centre.
Stage 2 - 175.1km - 's Hertogenbosch to Utrecht
Saturday, August 20
21:05-01:50 AEST
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22:20-01:50 AEST
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20:20 - 23:50 AEST
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The direction of the first KOM jersey of La Vuelta will be decided on the easy ascent of Amerongse Berg (2.1 km at 2.4%). That will the main incentive for attackers, with the sprinters likely to get their chance on the flat course.
The flat finish in Utrecht Science Park, which is located to the east of the city, should be the first chance for the sprint trains to propel their fast finishers to victory.
Stage 3 - 193km - Breda to Breda
Sunday, August 21
20:20-01:20 AEST
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23:00-01:20 AEST
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The race starts with an unusual neutralised section, that includes a traversal by foot through the Great Church, also known as the Church of Our Lady. The rest of the stage should be a relatively straightforward affair before a likely sprint finish in front of the Chasse Theatre.
REST DAY
Stage 4 - 153km - Vitoria-Gasteiz to Laguardia
Tuesday, August 23
23:00-01:50 AEST
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La Vuelta returns to Spanish soil on the fourth day of competition after an early rest day. The 152.5 kilometres long route travels from Vitoria-Gasteiz to an explosive finale in Laguardia. Basque Country fans will turn out in passionate droves to provide support to the riders on the deceptively tough hills.
The route includes two KOM climbs – Puerto de Opakua (5 kilometres at 6.9%), Puerto de Herrera (7.3 kilometres at 4.8%), while the final kilometres also run uphill. The final 800 metres go upwards at a sharp gradient of almost 10%.
Stage 5 - 187km - Irun to Bilbao
Wednesday, August 24
22:50-01:50 AEST
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This stage will be all about the circuit at the end of the stage, which features a demanding, shorter climb of Alto de Vivero (4.4km at 8.1%), which crests for the final time 14km from the finish line.
Stage 6 - 181km - Bilbao to Pico del Jano
Thursday, August 25
23:00-01:50 AEST
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La Vuelta heads to Cantabria for the first mountaintop finish of the race. The climb of Pico Jano (12.5km at 6.6%) isn’t the hardest climb the riders will face, but it’s still an important day for the GC riders.
Stage 7 - 190km - Camargo to Cistierna
Friday, August 26
22:50-01:50 AEST
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The mid-stage KOM comes atop the 22.5 kilometre climb of Puerto de San Glorio ascends at a percentage of 5.5 per cent. The ascent comes 64 kilometres from the finish, so it is unlikely to be a factor in the GC battle, with little climbing remaining after the peak.
Stage 8 - 153km - Pola de Laviana to Collado Fancuaya
Saturday, August 27
21:05-01:50 AEST
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22:20-01:50 AEST
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20:20 - 23:50 AWST
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The profile is up and down all day but the summit finish atop the Colláu Fancuaya is 10.1km at 7.7%, but the variable gradients of the ascent mean that sections are harder than indicated. This will likely be a showdown in the fight for the red jersey.
Stage 9 - 171km - Villaviciosa to Les Praeres
Sunday, August 28
20:30-01:50 AEST
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23:00-01:50 AEST
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A similar climbing day to the previous stage the finish on Alto Les Praeres is short but packed full of hard climbing with a 13% average. The rest day follows and a transfer to the south of Spain, so there should be a pitched battle among the contenders for the final victory.
Monday, August 29
REST DAY
Stage 10 - 31km - Elche to Alicante
Tuesday, August 30
23:00-01:50 AEST
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The second week kicks off with a 31km time trial. It’s a day for the specialists with a lot of flat roads without much in the way of technical sections.
Stage 11 - 192km - Alhama de Murcia to Cabo de Gata
Wednesday, August 31
22:50-01:50 AEST
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The flat stage looks to be one for the sprinters, but much of the route runs along the eastern coast of Spain, so if the winds off the Mediterranean pick up, there could be splits within the peloton.
Stage 12 - 193km - Salobreña to Peñas Blancas
Thursday, September 1
23:00-01:50 AEST
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A day spent on the southern coast of the Costa del Sol before the climb of Peñas Blancas. The climb is long and demanding, 19km at 6.3%, which will test the legs of the best climbers.
Stage 13 - 168km - Ronda to Montilla
Friday, September 2
22:50-01:50 AEST
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An undulating day in the saddle should be one for the sprinters, but the final 800m averaging 5% may take the stage away from pure fast men.
Stage 14 - 160km - Montoro to Sierra de La Pandera
Saturday, September 3
22:50-01:50 AEST
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La Vuelta hits the Sierra Nevada Mountain range and the climb of Sierra de La Pandera to finish. Two climbs bolted together at the end of the stage provide a tough challenge for the GC contenders in the finale. 23 kilometres from the finish the climbs begin, with a few short descents and variable gradient sections which see the steepest slopes near the top.
Stage 15 - 150km - Martos to Sierra Nevada
Sunday, September 4
21:00-01:50 AEST
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23:10-01:50 AEST
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The climb of Sierra Nevada climbs all the way up to the observatory topping out at 2,512 metres. Colombian Miguel Ángel López won here in 2017, so it suits those who perform well at altitude. The final rest day follows, and it could be a decisive day in the battle for the overall win.
Monday, September 5
REST DAY
Stage 16 - 189km - Sanlucar de Barrameda to Tomares
Tuesday, September 6
23:00-01:50 AEST
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Another stage where the sprinters will find the final few kilometres hard to manage, with two sharp climbs in the final 15 kilometres.
Stage 17 - 162km - Aracena to Monasterio de Tentudía
Wednesday, September 7
22:50-01:50 AEST
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The final climb to the Monasterio de Tentudia is the main difficulty on the day’s stage, and though not the toughest climb in this year’s Vuelta, it has the potential to allow for an attack from the main contenders.
Stage 18 - 192km - Trujillo to Piornal
Thursday, September 8
22:50-01:50 AEST
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There are two category 1 climbs for the stage, with the Alto del Piornal (13.2km at 5.5%) finishing the day’s race.
Stage 19 - 138km - Talavera de la Reina to Talavera de la Reina
Friday, September 9
22:50-01:50 AEST
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Quite a short stage at just 138km, containing two long laps of a circuit around Talavera de le Reina including a stepped climb up to Puerto del Pielago.
Stage 20 - 181km - Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada
Saturday, September 10
20:25-01:50 AEST
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22:15-01:50 AEST
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Three Category 1 climbs and two Category 2 ascents make up the day’s climbing on this shark’s tooth profile, totalling up to nearly 4000 metres of climbing for the stage.
Stage 21 - 97km - Las Rozas to Madrid
Monday, September 12
01:20-04:30 AEST
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The traditional final stage is back to Madrid and normally a day out for the sprinters who have survived to the finish.
Challenge by La Vuelta
September 7- September 11
The women's five stage race features a tough parcours this season which is set suit the climbers.
