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The Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta was born in 2015 as a one-day women's race in the shadow of the Vuelta ciclista a España. In these 8 years, however, the event has not stopped growing, both in days (year after year it adds days of competition, which on this occasion reach up to 5), as well as in difficulty in the route and in competitiveness. The intention of the organizers is to consolidate the race as a first-level one-week race in the next two editions, following the model of the Giro d'Italia Donne or the Tour de France Femmes avec Swift.

Route

The 2022 edition of the race will take place over 5 stages, and just as the men's Vuelta ciclista a España did two weeks ago, it will start with a 20 km team time trial. The second stage presents the steepest profile of the race, with 5 climbs scoring for the best climber jersey, a classification that is disputed for the first time in the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta. The third stage is considered flat, but includes the climb to Hoces de Bárcena (18.7 km at 3.2%) halfway through the race, which could drop some of the sprinters. The next day, the cyclists will face the longest stage in the history of the race (160 km), but also a 1 km dirt section and the final climb to the old town of Segovia (2.4 km to 3 .5%) contribute to shaping a very tough stage. Lastly, the race closes in the already traditional circuit through the streets of Madrid, on the same day and in the same place where the last stage of the men's Vuelta takes place.

Favorites

The starting list is still at a very early stage, so it is impossible to make predictions. Even so, one thing is clear: Annemiek Van Vleuten (1200) starts as the main favorite for the general classification, as in almost all the races she competes in. Another big name on the provisional list of participants is Lotte Kopecky (1000) who will undoubtedly contest the sprint finishes. However, the GC will surely be out of his reach, especially due to the toughness of the second stage.