Today, the Vuelta a Espana 2014 route was announced. The 2014 edition will not be as hard as the last two editions of the race. This year, there will be eight summit finishes, 1 team time trial and 2 TT.

According to Lotto-Belisol sport director and former rider Mario Aerts, this year’s route is less spectacular and less tough than the previous two years. But this doesn’t make it easy. He says that there only are 4 stages for the sprinters.      

“The course is less spectacular and tough than the previous two editions. The riders won’t be heading into the high mountains, like it was the case last year in Andorra. Of course this doesn’t mean it’s easy, it always goes up and down in Spain. Again it isn’t a Vuelta for sprinters, I only see four sprint opportunities. Probably few teams will bring a top sprinter and that diminishes the chances even more.”

According to Mario Aerts, the route fits Maxime Monfort very well. Monfort is known for his good time trial skills and won the Belgian national time trial title in 2009.

“The final week is the toughest; it actually begins the penultimate Saturday with the fourteenth stage. The GC can change until the last day. For Maxime Monfort it’s a very good course. The time trial after the first rest day also contains a climb that definitely suits him. According to me the differences between the first riders won’t be very big. It’s also an advantage for Monfort that the mountains aren’t too high.”