Team Profiles: La Vuelta 2022
23 teams will compete in the 2022 edition of La Vuelta. Some will offer true contenders for the overall win. Every team will seek a piece of the glory, whether that’s a stage win or a prize jersey. Hump Day News spells out the rosters below, highlighting the riders to watch as part of our Preview of La Vuelta 2022.
Since finishing 4th in GC in the 2021 Tour de France, race watchers have expected big things from Ben O’Connor. Will his early exit from the 2022 TdF help his chances in La Vuelta?
AG2R Citroën Team
Clément Champoussin (FRA)
Dorian Godon (FRA)
Jaako Hänninen (FIN)
Bob Jungels (LUX)
Nans Peters (FRA)
Nicolas Prodhomme (FRA)
Andrea Vendrame (ITA)
“Superman” López is a perpetual contender, but will he be happy on a team that might be hunting stage wins with Lutsenko and Nibali?
Astana Qazaqstan
Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ)
Vincenzo Nibali (ITA)
Harold Tejada (COL)
Yevgeniy Fedorov (KAZ)
David de la Cruz (ESP)
Vadim Pronskiy (KAZ)
Samuele Battistella (ITA)
The #FreeLanda community has gotten its wish in recent years. The Spanish rider is a dark horse favorite and you like him in his home country. #FreePoels for a stage win.
Bahrain Victorious
Gino Mäder (SUI)
Wout Poels (NED)
Luis León Sánchez (ESP)
Jasha Sütterlin (GER)
Fred Wright (GBR)
Edoardo Zambanini (ITA)
Santiago Buitrago (COL)
A lot of talent on this squad. Hindley won the 2022 Giro d’Italia and he has the helpers to compete at La Vuelta. Sam Bennett handles sprints.
Bora-Hansgrohe
Sam Bennett (IRE)
Sergio Higuita (COL)
Wilco Kelderman (NED)
Emanuel Buchmann (GER)
Ryan Mullen (IRE)
Jonas Koch (GER)
Danny van Poppel (NED)
It’s Cofidis, baby!
Cofidis
Davide Cimolai (ITA)
Thomas Champion (FRA)
Jesús Herrada (ESP)
José Herrada (ESP)
Davide Villella (ITA)
Bryan Coquard (FRA)
Rubén Fernández (ESP)
Rémy Rochas (FRA)
Cool veteran Rigo was outraced by young American Nielson Powless in the 2022 TdF. In La Vuelta, Hugh Carthy will do the honors. Nobody looks better in shades than the Colombian though.
EF Education-EasyPost
Mark Padun (UKR)
Esteban Chaves (COL)
James Shaw (GBR)
Merhawi Kudus (ERI)
Jonathan Caicedo (ECU)
Julius van den Berg (NED)
Fan favorite Pinot will draw attention, but who’s the real GC-contender on this squad?
Groupama-FDJ
Jake Stewart (GBR)
Fabian Lienhard (SUI)
Bruno Armirail (FRA)
Quentin Pacher (FRA)
Miles Scotson (AUS)
Rudy Molard (FRA)
Sébastien Reichenbach (SUI)
A strong team of Grand Tour winners in Carapaz and TGH, with strong support. Watch out for a van Baarle stage win.
Ineos Grenadiers
Ethan Hayter (GBR)
Pavel Sivakov (FRA)
Ben Turner (GBR)
Luke Plapp (AUS)
Carlos Rodriguez (ESP)
Pozzovivo is a cagey veteran who goes hard in the mountains. Meintjes is coming off another top-10 finish in the TdF.
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA)
Rein Taaramäe (EST)
Gerben Thijssen (BEL)
Jan Bakelants (BEL)
Tom Devriendt (BEL)
Julius Johansen (DEN)
Jan Hirt (CZE)
Froome is the honorary team captain who will never get out from underneath the weight of laurels past. No true GC contender here. IPT will hunt stage wins.
Israel-Premier Tech
Carl Frederik Hagen (NOR)
Alessandro De Marchi (ITA)
Omer Goldstein (ISR)
Michael Woods (CAN)
Itamar Einhorn (ISR)
Patrick Bevin (NZL)
Daryl Impey (RSA)
Primoz Roglic is the runaway favorite GC rider to win it all, having won La Vuelta three years running. Kuss, Teunissen, Dennis are elite support.
Jumbo-Visma
Edoardo Affini (ITA)
Sam Oomen (NED)
Sepp Kuss (USA)
Robert Gesink (NED)
Mike Teunissen (NED)
Chris Harper (AUS)
Rohan Dennis (AUS)
Breakaway king Thomas De Gendt guarantees drama.
Lotto Soudal
Thomas De Gendt (BEL)
Cedric Beullens (BEL)
Filippo Conca (ITA)
Steff Cras (BEL)
Jarrad Drizners (AUS)
Kamil Małecki (POL)
Harry Sweeny (AUS)
Maxim Van Gils (BEL)
The lauded Spanish veteran Valverde will take his swan song in La Vuelta 2022, and he’s still got plenty of juice to power GC-hopeful Mas through the mountains.
Movistar Team
Carlos Verona (ESP)
José Joaquín Rojas (ESP)
Nelson Oliveira (POR)
Mathias Norsgaard (DEN)
Gregor Mühlberger (AUT)
Lluís Mas (ESP)
Fan favorite Alaphilipple is a puncheur who can take a Tour over for multiple stages. Race watchers have been talking up Evenepoel as legit GC threat – is the young rider ready?
QuickStep-AlphaVinyl
Rémi Cavagna (FRA)
Dries Devenyns (BEL)
Fausto Masnada (ITA)
Pieter Serry (BEL)
Ilan Van Wilder (BEL)
Louis Vervaeke (BEL)
Simon Yates is a perpetual GC-contender who can hang on his own in the top-10. But does this squad have the oomph to get him over the hump against stiff competition?
BikeExchange-Jayco
Lawson Craddock (USA)
Lucas Hamilton (AUS)
Callum Scotson (AUS)
Kaden Groves (AUS)
Kelland O’Brien (AUS)
Luke Durbridge (AUS)
Michael Hepburn (AUS)
Degenkolb is a strong rider who can win stages, with particular success at La Vuelta. No visible GC-threat on Team DSM.
Team DSM
Nikias Arndt (GER)
Mark Donovan (GBR)
Henri Vandenabeele (BEL)
Thymen Arensman (DSM)
Joris Nieuwenhuis (NED)
Marco Brenner (GER)
Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (NOR)
Trek-Segafredo will be stage hunting with able riders like Pedersen and López.
Trek-Segafredo
Mads Pedersen (DEN)
Dario Cataldo (ITA)
Kenny Elissonde (FRA)
Julien Bernard (FRA)
Antonio Tiberi (ITA)
Alex Kirsch (LUX)
Daan Hoole (NED)
The young Almeida is developing into a perpetual GC-contender. Strong support from Ackermann, McNulty, and more will help this team rebound from disappointment at the 2022 TdF.
UAE Team Emirates
Pascal Ackermann (GER)
Juan Ayuso (ESP)
Brandon McNulty (USA)
Juan Molano (COL)
Ivo Oliveira (POR)
Jan Polanc (SLO)
Marc Soler (ESP)
No true GC-contenders here. Cross your fingers for stage wins.
Alpecin-Deceuninck
Jimmy Janssens
Tim Merlier
Xandro Meurisse
Oscar Riesebeek
Robert Stannard
Lionel Taminiaux
Gianni Vermeersch
Jay Vine
Quintana busted for Tramadol?! This team is out of luck.
Team Arkéa-Samsic
Nairo Quintana (COL) (busted for Tramadol)
Daniel McLay (GBR)
Anthony Delaplace (FRA)
Élie Gesbert (FRA)
Thibault Guernalec (FRA)
Simon Guglielmi (FRA)
Łukasz Owsian (POL)
Clément Russo (FRA)
Burgos will be hunting stage wins and flashing the jerseys on fruitless breakaways.
Burgos-BH
Jetse Bol (NED)
Óscar Cabedo (ESP)
José Manuel Díaz (ESP)
Jesús Ezquerra (ESP)
Ángel Madrazo (ESP)
Daniel Navarro (ESP)
Ander Okamika (ESP)
Manuel Peñalver (ESP)
Another sacrificial lamb team for the fruitless breakaway. Those jerseys are hot though.
Equipo Kern Pharma
Roger Adrìa (ESP)
Urko Berrade (ESP)
Héctor Carretero (ESP)
Francisco Galván (ESP)
Raúl García Pierna (ESP)
Pau Miquel (ESP)
José Félix Parra (ESP)
Vojtech Repa (CZE)
Breakaway fodder and the team name that’s the most fun to say. Euskaltel-Euskadi!
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Luis Ángel Maté (ESP)
Ibai Azurmendi (ESP)
Carlos Canal (ESP)
Xabier Mikel Azparren (ESP)
Joan Bou (ESP)
Mikel Iturria (ESP)
Mikel Bizkarra (ESP)
Gotzon Martín (ESP)
Critical Mass Boston rides in memory of John Corcoran.