Preview O Gran Camino 2024 | Uijtdebroeks debuts alongside Kelderman and Vingegaard

With the UAE Tour and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the coming week features several WorldTour races, but the Tour winner is starting at the 2.1 level for the second year in a row. Jonas Vingegaard once again headlines the field at O Gran Camino in Northern Spain. IDLProCycling.com attempts to bring you up to speed on the upcoming edition!

O Gran Camino is going on its third edition, but with Jonas Vingegaard and Alejandro Valverde, the race has an honors roll that would make anyone salivate. Valverde beat Michael Woods and Mark Padun in the inaugural edition of 2022, and last season Vingegaard won the three stages on behalf of the Dutch team of (then) Jumbo-Visma.

Most recent winners O Gran Camino

2023 Jonas Vingegaard
2022 Alejandro Valverde

O Gran Camino 2024: Course, favorites stage wins and times

Stage 1, Thursday, February 22: A Coruna - A Corona (14.8 km, time trial)

O Gran Camino kicks off with a 14.8-kilometer time trial in A Coruña, perhaps known in the Netherlands for the football club Deportivo La Coruña. The last few hundred meters are cobblestoned, and there are also a few bumps in the nearly 15-kilometer chrono.

Climbs
6.0 km: La Coruna (1.5 km at 4.8%)

Favorites
Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers)
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike)

Times
Start: 2:40 PM
Finish: 5:15 PM

Stage 2, Friday, February 23: Taboada - Chantada (151.1 km)

Day two features a strenuous stage, from Taboada to Chantada. Throughout the day, the route is continuously undulating, but with the Alto de San Pedro de Lincora (5 kilometers at 6.3 percent), the peloton faces a serious decider. This climb has to be conquered twice in the finale, with the last peak four kilometers from the finish.

Climbs
60.0 km: Alto de Paradela (4.4 km at 6.2%)
87.0 km: Alto de Sonan (2.4 km at 5.4%)
121.5 km: Alto de San Pedro de Lincora (5 km at 6.3%)
148.0 km: Alto de San Pedro de Lincora (5 km at 6.3%)

Favorites
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Carlos Rodriguez (INEOS Grenadiers)
Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)

Times
Start: 1:25 PM
Finish: 5:10 PM

Stage 3, Saturday, February 24: Xinzo de Limia - Castelo de Ribadavia (173.1 km)

The third day can be seen as a kind of transitional stage. Perhaps a bit too challenging for the pure sprinters, but then again too easy for the real climbers. Basically, it is the kind of stage where the outcome could go several ways, let's just leave it at that.

Climbs
14.0 km: Alto de Estivadas (4 km at 4.6%)
58.0 km: Alto Albergueria (7 km at 5.7%)
120.5 km: Alto O Castro de Beiro (5.3 km at 4.5%)
154.0 km: Alto do Couso (4.4 km at 5.9%)

Favorites
Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers)
Will Barta (Movistar)
Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ)

Times
Start: 12:50 PM
Finish: 5:10 PM

Stage 4, Sunday, February 25: Pontearas - Tui (162.2 km)

The final stage is undeniably the queen stage of the four-day event in Galicia. Along the way, four categorized climbs must be conquered, with the sting definitely being at the end. The Tui climb involves seven kilometers of climbing at an average of eight percent, where the general classification of this O Gran Camino will no doubt be decided.

Climbs
17.0 km: Alto Cruceiro do Monte (8 km at 4%)
108.0 km: Alto de San Cosme (6.8 km at 5.5%)
131.5 km: Monte Aloia (6.9 km at 8%)
162.2 km: Tui (7 km at 8%)

Favorites
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)

Times
Start: 10:50 AM
Finish: 3 PM

Favorites general classification O Gran Camino 2024

Six WorldTour teams are participating in this edition of O Gran Camino, with five teams sending serious line-ups. Starting with Visma | Lease a Bike, which has included defending champion and two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard in the team. The Dane insisted on starting his year in Galicia once again. The inclusion of a time trial in the stage race was an important factor in this decision.

Vingegaard is supported by a strong selection, with debutants Cian Uijtdebroeks and Ben Tulett racing alongside him. Additionally, the experienced Wilco Kelderman and Giro Next Gen winner Johannes Staune Mittet are part of the team, as well as the talented Dutchmen Menno Huising and Tijmen Graat. A great team, for sure!

INEOS Grenadiers also sends a strong team, with Joshua Tarling undoubtedly aiming for the time trial on day one. Climbers Carlos Rodriguez and Egan Bernal can pursue a strong classification, which is a formidable task, with the support of strong riders like Ethan Hayter, Jonathan Castroviejo, Omar Fraile and Michal Kwiatkowski.

Movistar is fielding the duo Gregor Mühlberger and Ivan Ramiro Sosa, while EF Education-EasyPost also opts for a select group of climbers. Richard Carapaz, Andrea Piccolo and Rigoberto Urán have already shown their good form in Colombia, but Neilson Powless and Hugh Carthy are also choosing to make their season debut in the Spanish stage race.

Then we have Groupama-FDJ, which is including Lenny Martinez, the winner of the Classic Var, in its ranks. David Gaudu and Quentin Pacher are also well-suited to mountainous terrain. Arkéa - B&B Hotels is pinning its hopes on Raul Garcia Pierna, while Caja Rural Seguros (Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda) and Euskaltel-Euskadi (Mikel Bizkarra) will be hoping for some TV time in this strong field.

Who are the favorites for the general classification of O Gran Camino, according to IDLProCycling.com?

Top favorites: Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
Outsiders: Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Carlos Rodríguez (INEOS Grenadiers) and Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost)
Long shots: Wilco Kelderman, Ben Tulett, Johannes Staune-Mittet (Visma | Lease a Bike), Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers), Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Movistar), Neilson Powless, Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost) and Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ)

TV O Gran Camino 2024

We won't be getting live coverage on TV, but the race is available through Eurosport's online channels. The broadcast starts each day after the UAE Tour, at 3:00 PM. On the weekend, you will need to get behind your mobile phone, tablet or computer an hour and a half earlier, as the broadcast will then start at 1:30 PM.