Alexander Vinokurov rides La Vuelta's opening stage with Prince of Monaco
Kazakhstan's Alexander Vinokurov, winner of Spain's Vuelta in 2006, rode the first stage route of this cycling race twenty years later, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The 2026 Vuelta a España will start in Monaco, with the first two stages of the grand tour taking place on August 21 and 22.
One hundred days before the competition, organizers invited former world cycling stars who had retired from racing to test the opening stage course.
Among the invited riders were Britain's Chris Froome, who won the Vuelta in 2017; Ireland's Nicolas Roche (who won several stages); and 2006 Vuelta champion Alexander Vinokurov of Kazakhstan. Joining the cycling legends on the course was Prince Albert II of Monaco.
The 52-year-old Vinokurov showed that he remains in excellent physical shape. Commenting on the ride, Vinokurov admitted that he has missed the thrill of racing.
"It's a beautiful route. It's really for riders who like technical courses because it's a truly technical prologue, you could say. You need to be in good shape, but you also really need to know the route. In my opinion, someone like Pogačar, who lives here in Monaco, could win it in under 12 minutes, I think. But, in any case, it's a beautiful route. If I were still a rider, I would love to do it. Anyway, I wish them all the best at the start," he said.
Alexander Vinokurov maintains his fitness by competing in Ironman events and also serves as the General Manager of the XDS Astana Team.
Earlier, XDS Astana rider Alberto Bettiol won stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia.
