Netherlands to host opening stages of La Vuelta in 2022

Next year’s edition of the prestigious Spanish cycling race La Vuelta will begin in the Dutch city of Utrecht, with stages also reaching Den Bosch and Breda. The beginning of the race returns to the Netherlands for the first time since 2009 with a team time trial and two opening stages, organizers confirmed.

”To return to the Netherlands, which is the quintessential cycling nation, is something we’ve been wanting to do for a very long time. Holland is a guarantee for success in terms of organisation and I have no doubt that, despite the complexity of the current situation, we will be able to carry out the event safely and successfully,” said the director of La Vuelta Javier Guillén.

Utrecht will become the first city to host all three cycling Grand Tours, having hosted the Giro d’Italia in 2010 as well as Tour de France Grand Départ in 2015.

The Vuelta a España is a multi-stage race primarily held in Spain, but occasionally awards cities outside of Spain to host single stages of the event. The Vuelta was supposed to begin in the Netherlands last year, but the travel restrictions forced organizers to cancel all stages taking place outside of Spanish territory.

“In 2020 we were forced to make a decision that we never wanted to make, but which we were compelled to make given the circumstances,” Guillèn said. “Despite everything, the Netherlands’ commitment and wish to host La Vuelta hasn’t changed a bit since then. It’s a pleasure for us to work with institutions that are so committed and that love cycling as much as they do.”

Next year’s edition of Vuelta will start with a team time trial, as it often does. The stage will begin at the Jaarbeurs covention center and will wind its way through the country's fourth-largest city. The second stage of the race is set to kick off in Den Bosch, approximately 45 minutes south of Utrecht, before finishing back in Utrecht. Breda will be home to the third stage of the event.

La Vuelta scheduled to take place from August 12 to September 4 next year. “The official departure of La Vuelta 22 is even more special, if that’s possible, due to the close historical links between Spain and the Netherlands, and the current common projection they both have in terms of environmental protection and sustainability policies,“ the organizers stated.

Rotterdam and The Hague recently submitted their joint bid to host the opening of the Tour de France in either 2024 or 2025.