Favorites stage 21 Vuelta a Espana 2023 | Hello Jumbo, here comes the royal final stage parade in Madrid!

No, things won't be very exciting on Sunday. After the debacle in Barcelona on day one, let's just hope that the organization has a good handle on sunset time in Madrid, but that is expected to be just fine. The stage finishes at 8:00 p.m., while the sun is set to go down around 8:20 p.m.

We start at Hipódromo de la Zarzuela, a horse racing track just outside the city. After about fifty kilometers of parading, we reach the local circuit in Madrid, which has been the backdrop for the final stage of the Grand Tours for years. This circuit is 5.8 kilometers long and passes by various tourist attractions in Madrid. So, Jumbo-Visma (Sepp Kuss, Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic), Remco Evenepoel, and other key players have plenty of time to enjoy the sights.

At just over one kilometer from the finish, there is a 180-degree turn where being at the front is crucial. After that, it's a straight sprint to the finish line, where we are looking for a successor to riders like Juan Sebastián Molano, Pascal Ackermann and Fabio Jakobsen. Molano won last year, so he can go for his second consecutive win.

Climbs
None

Times
Start: 5:19 p.m.
Finish: around 8:00 p.m.

There is a chance of rain in the Madrid area on Sunday, but the riders seem to be escaping it once again. In the evening, it is expected to be dry, so we shouldn't see a repeat of the Barcelona team time trial situation. The temperature is 22 degrees Celsius, and the wind is coming from the southeast.

We can't ignore the sprinters for this stage; it's as simple as that. Climbers from teams like DSM-firmenich and UAE-Team Emirates will want to pull out all the stops on this final day in order to give their sprinters one more chance, relieving Alpecin-Deceuninck of any worries about support after three unsuccessful sprints.

Nevertheless, Kaden Groves is the top favorite. The Australian saw his opportunity slip away on Friday after a fall by teammate Tobias Bayer, leaving him with only lead-out Edward Planckaert and pace-setters Jimmy Janssens and Jason Osborne in full service. Groves will have to be clever about it, but since he likely has the fastest legs in the peloton, he can go a long way.

Juan Sebastián Molano won last year's stage in Madrid and knows what it's like to win such a stage late in a Grand Tour. The Colombian only has one teammate, Rui Oliveira, in the final kilometers, so he will also need to use tactics. Alberto Dainese (DSM-firmenich) had his day of glory on Friday but would gladly add another one in Madrid.

Then there's Filippo Ganna, who has already finished second twice in the sprints in this Vuelta. The Italian may not be a fan of the 180-degree turn just before the final kilometer, but once he gets up to speed afterward, it will be challenging to pass him. Geraint Thomas, who successfully prepared sprints for Mark Cavendish in the final stage of the Giro, has the task at hand.

Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost), Edward Theuns (Lidl-Trek), Dries Van Gestel (TotalEnergies), and Milan Menten (Lotto-Dstny) offer the biggest chances of success from a Dutch and Belgian perspective, although everything will have to fall into place perfectly for them to win a stage. The same applies to riders like Hugo Page (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step), Matevz Govekar (Bahrain Victorious), Nico Denz, Jonas Koch (BORA-hansgrohe), and Iván Garcia Cortina (Movistar).

The French teams also have almost all retained a second-tier sprinter for this stage. Hugo Hofstetter (Arkéa Samsic), Davide Cimolai (Cofidis), Andrea Vendrame (AG2R Citroën Team), Lewis Askey, and Samuel Watson (Groupama-FDJ) could all compete for a prize in this final stage.

Top favorites: Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Alberto Dainese (DSM-firmenich)
Outsiders: Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE-Team Emirates), Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers), Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) and Edward Theuns (Lidl-Trek)
Longshots: Davide Cimolai (Cofidis), Milan Menten (Lotto-Dstny), Andrea Vendrame (AG2R Citroën), Iván Garcia Cortina (Movistar), Dries Van Gestel (TotalEnergies), Hugo Hofstetter (Arkéa Samsic), Hugo Page (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) and Samuel Watson (Groupama-FDJ)