The 2022 Vuelta a España was the 77th edition of Vuelta a España, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Vuelta began in Utrecht on 19 August, and Stage 11 from ElPozo Alimentación to Cabo de Gata occurred on 31 August. The race finished in Madrid on 11 September.
Classification standings Legend Denotes the leader of the general classification Denotes the leader of the young rider classification Denotes the leader of the points classification Denotes the leader of the team classification Denotes the leader of the mountains classification Denotes the winner of the combativity award
Stage 1 19 August 2022 – Utrecht (Netherlands) to Utrecht (Netherlands), (TTT)
This year's Vuelta started with a team time trial along the streets of Utrecht in Netherlands. This marked the first time since the opening stage of the 2019 Vuelta that a team time trial featured in a World Tour race. The entirety of the course was flat but it featured several corners along the route. There was a single intermediate time check in the middle of the course. At the finish, the times were taken when fifth rider from the team crossed the line.
was the first team off the start ramp as the rain greeted the first teams off the ramp. The first benchmark time was set by , who finished with a time of 25' 18". A few minutes later, knocked off the hot seat after beating their time by seven seconds. As they finished, the roads began to dry up. Soon after, was able to go faster than at the time check but they slowed down in the second half of the course, falling short off the hot seat by 10 seconds. also challenged the leading time but they fell short by two seconds.
The focus soon shifted to , , and , three of the favorites for the stage win. initially set the fastest time at the time check before went faster than their squad. At the finish, finished with a time of 24' 53", beating 's time and setting the first time under 25 minutes. came close to beating their time but they were less than a second slower at the end. However, the best performance on the day went to . They were 14 seconds faster than everyone at the time check before setting a time of 24' 40", winning the stage by 13 seconds over . Robert Gesink crossed the line first to take the first red jersey of the race, with the three-time defending champion, Primož Roglič, in second.
Stage 2 20 August 2022 – 's-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) to Utrecht (Netherlands),
The Vuelta remained in Netherlands for the second stage that was expected to be for the sprinters. The first were entirely flat before the riders tackled a long section that featured a few lumps as well as the fourth-category climb of Alto de Amerongse. With remaining, the riders passed through the intermediate sprint, which also featured bonus seconds of 3, 2, and 1 to the first three riders across. Afterwards, the rest of the stage was flat all the way to the finish.
After the official start, a group of five riders containing Julius van den Berg (), Xabier Azparren (), Thibault Guernalec (), Jetse Bol (), and Pau Miquel () went off the front. They extended their advantage to as much as five minutes before quickly brought the gap down. As the race headed towards the lone categorized climb of the day, the peloton came close to catching the break but they continued to let the quintet dangle off the front. On the climb, van den Berg took maximum points to lead the KOM classification. The quintet led the race until the -to-go mark, when they were finally swept up by the peloton. With left, Luis Ángel Maté () attacked from the peloton to form a solo break. He was not able to build a significant gap and he was brought back with remaining. The sprinters' teams soon began to set up their trains for the inevitable bunch sprint. At the finish, Danny van Poppel () managed to shepherd his team's sprinter, Sam Bennett, near the front of the peloton. Mads Pedersen () began his sprint first but Bennett came around him to win the stage, taking the lead in the points classification in the process. Pedersen held on for second while Tim Merlier () took third. By finishing fourth on the stage, Mike Teunissen () took over the red jersey from his teammate, Robert Gesink.
Stage 3 21 August 2022 – Breda (Netherlands) to Breda (Netherlands),
The final stage in Netherlands featured another flat stage for the pure sprinters. The parcours was flat throughout, apart from a fourth-category climb with to go. The intermediate sprint was located in Sint Willebrord with remaining, with the sprint offering bonus seconds to the first three riders across.
At the start of the stage, Julius van den Berg () kicked off the attacks and he was soon joined by six other riders to form the break of the day. They were allowed an advantage of almost three minutes before the sprinters' teams began to take up the chase. With around to go, there was a crash that involved Michael Woods (), forcing him to retire from the race. As the break passed through the only categorized climb of the day, Thomas De Gendt () took maximum KOM points while van den Berg took second to ensure that he kept the polka-dot jersey. Towards the intermediate sprint, the break was still out front, albeit with a gap of less than a minute over the peloton. De Gendt once again took maximum points before being dropped shortly after.
With around left, there was a crash that involved three of ' GC leaders: Richard Carapaz, Pavel Sivakov, and Carlos Rodríguez. They were able to escape unscathed and they quickly made their way back to the peloton. The break was soon caught at from the finish before the sprinters' teams began to set up their lead-out trains. In the final kilometer, led the peloton out for their sprinter, Pascal Ackermann, who started his sprint first. However, he was passed towards the line, where Sam Bennett () prevailed in the sprint for his second successive stage win. Mads Pedersen () once again finished second while Daniel McLay () took third. The red jersey changed hands once again at the end of the day as Edoardo Affini () took over the race lead ahead of the race's first rest day.
Rest day 1 22 August 2022 – Vitoria-Gasteiz
Stage 4 23 August 2022 – Vitoria-Gasteiz to Laguardia,
Following the first rest day, the race went to Spain for a hilly stage that included an uphill finish. The first were flat before the riders tackled the second-category climb of Puerto de Opakua. Afterwards, the riders faced two uncategorized climbs before going through the intermediate sprint in Lagrán with left. After another uncategorized climb, the riders tackled the second-category climb of Puerto de Herrera, which was crested with to go. Bonus seconds were on offer to the first three riders across the top of the climb. Following the descent, the riders faced an uphill climb towards the finish, with the final averaging around 8 percent.
Six riders formed the day's breakaway, which was given a maximum advantage of around three minutes. The best-placed GC rider in the break was Alexey Lutsenko (), who was only 46 seconds down at the start of the day. and took up the pacesetting in the peloton, keeping the break on a tight leash. On the first climb of the day, the Puerto de Opakua, Joan Bou () took maximum KOM points to take over the lead in KOM classification. As the break went through the uncategorized climbs, Bou, Ander Okamika (), and Jarrad Drizners () were dropped from the break, leaving Lutsenko, Alessandro De Marchi (), and James Shaw () out front. The trio's lead continued to tumble until they were caught with left.
The peloton soon headed towards the last categorized climb, the Puerto de Herrera. Towards the top, Julian Alaphilippe () launched an attack that was answered by Primož Roglič (). Roglič passed Alaphilippe to take maximum KOM points as well as three bonus seconds. On the descent, Remco Evenepoel () set a furious pace that caused some splits in the peloton but the group was all back together ahead of the final ramp to the finish. led the peloton into the final kilometer before took up the lead out duties for their sprinter, Mads Pedersen, who was able to survive the climbs. With remaining, Roglič launched his sprint with Pedersen in second wheel. Pedersen was not able to come around as Roglič took the stage win, going into the red jersey in the process. Third place went to Enric Mas (). Only 12 riders finished in the front group, getting a gap of seven seconds over the second group, which contained the likes of Simon Yates (), Richard Carapaz (), and João Almeida ().
Stage 5 24 August 2022 – Irun to Bilbao,
The fifth stage of the Vuelta featured a hilly parcours that was expected to be for the breakaway specialists. The first were mostly flat before the riders tackled three third-category climbs of Puerto de Gontzagarigana, Balcón de Bizkaia, and Alto de Morga in succession. After a short valley section, the riders climbed up the second-category Alto del Vivero, which is long with an average of 8 percent. Following the descent, the riders passed through the finish line in Bilbao for the first time, with the line acting as an intermediate sprint on this occasion. Afterwards, the riders looped back towards the Alto del Vivero as they climbed it for a second time. At the top, from the finish, bonus seconds were on offer to the first three riders across. The riders then tackled the descent once again before making their way back to the finish line in Bilbao.
The start of the stage was marked by a furious fight for the break as several riders tried to get into the move. Eventually, with left, a group of nine riders got a significant gap over the peloton. Successful counterattacks from the peloton meant that the break ballooned to 17 riders, with Rudy Molard () the best-placed GC rider in the break at only 58 seconds down while Fred Wright () was only four seconds behind him. As the riders tackled the first categorized climb of the day, Marc Soler () made a late attempt to bridge to the break, which was around two minutes ahead at this point. He successfully made it to the break on the second climb of the day. On each of the first three climbs, Victor Langellotti () took maximum KOM points. Meanwhile, in the peloton, continued to set a steady pace, content to let someone from the break take the red jersey. On the first ascent of Alto del Vivero, Lawson Craddock () attacked, gapping his breakaway companions. He took maximum KOM points at the top, holding off a fast-approaching Langellotti, who took second to move into the virtual lead of the KOM classification. After the riders passed through the finish line for the first time, there were 12 riders left in the break.
With around to go, Jake Stewart () launched an attack. He extended his lead to around 40 seconds as the break made their way back to Alto del Vivero. On the climb, there were several counterattacks from the chasing group until Soler managed to build a gap over the other chasers. He slowly ate into Stewart's lead until Soler caught and dropped him with left. Soler went across the top around 11 seconds ahead of Molard, who took two bonus seconds to extend his virtual GC lead over Wright. On the descent, the chasers regrouped after splitting on the climb, minus Stewart who suffered from leg cramps. Although the chasers came to within six seconds of making the catch, Soler held them off to win the stage. Daryl Impey () finished second while Wright took third, taking four bonus seconds in the process. The peloton finished over five minutes down, which meant that Molard, who finished fourth, took the red jersey, two seconds ahead of Wright.
Stage 6 25 August 2022 – Bilbao to Pico Jano (San Miguel de Aguayo),