Vuelta 2014: Favourites stage 2 - Perfect day for sprinters

Sunday, August 24th - The 2nd stage of the 2014 Vuelta suits the sprinters with 174 flat kilometres between Algeciras and San Fernando. Just one climb at the very beginning of the stage, so riders like Bouhanni and Guardini will be pleased, whilst Sagan and Degenkolb will be eyeing up this one as well. (Slideshow route/profile)

John Degenkolb loves the Vuelta and the Vuelta loves him back. In 2012 – being 23 year of age – he was fastest in five bunch sprints.

A fast man if there ever was one, Nacer Bouhanni had his break through in recent Giro. He took over from Marcel Kittel after the German had to abandon with illness. The 24-year old Bouhanni took three stage victories.

Peter Sagan was four times second in the last Tour de France. His main rivals in La Grande Boucle – Kittel, Kristoff and Greipel – are not present in Spain, opening perspectives.

Belgian champion Jens Debusscherre comes to Spain with André Greipel’s lead out man: Gregory Henderson. So that’s loads of experience to benefit from for the young Belgian sprinter.

Other sprinters in Spain are Michael Matthews, Matteo Pelucchi and Moreno Hofland, whilst Astana shows up with a delegation of three fast men: Andrea Guardini, Jacopo Guarnieri and Aleksey Lutsenko. Recently, 25-Year old Guardini was victorious in stage 1 of the Dutch/Belgian Eneco Tour.