Thomas Lövkvist
Encyclopedia
Thomas Löfkvist is a Swedish
professional road bicycle racer riding for the UCI ProTour
. He became the youngest Swedish professional road bicycle racer when he started his professional bicycling career in at the age of 19 in 2004. Lövkvist is a good time trialist and has recently improved his climbing abilities, winning the Monte Paschi Eroica
in 2009 with a powerful attack during the steep final kilometer ascent. He has previously used, both within and outside of the cyling world, the surname spelling 'Lövkvist'. Beginning with the cycling season of 2010 he is using his legal surname Löfkvist throughout.
. Following this results he turned professional for the French team in 2004.
with a 171 km breakaway, covering 150 alone after getting rid of Christophe Moreau
. The stage win also gave him the Overall Classification, drawing comparisons with Tour de France
winners Bernard Hinault
and Greg Lemond
, who also won the race at the age of 20. Lövkvist finished 10 seconds ahead of Franck Bouyer
, who four days later earned his revenge by beating Lövkvist in the French semi-classic Paris–Camembert. Later in the season he also won the Swedish National time trial championships and participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics
. In the 2004 Tour de l'Avenir
he won the last stage and finished second overall on the same time of the winner, Sylvain Calzati
.
Lövkvist began the 2005 season with a 12th place in the Paris–Nice. He made his debut in the Tour de France
as the youngest rider at the age of 21. He also finished 4th in the Tour de Pologne and 14th in the Deutschland Tour. He was later named the Swedish Cyclist of the Year. In 2006 he became the Swedish National Road Race champion and was once again the youngest rider of Tour de France
.
In 2007 he finished second in the Critérium International
after winning the concluding Time Trial. He also competed in the Tour de France
and later finished second in the 14th stage of the Vuelta a España
, the best stage result for a Swede
in Vuelta a España
since 1982. At the age of 23 he had finished his second Grand Tour
of the season and the fourth of his career. Note that Lövkvist was the UCI ProTour
rider with most competition days (84) in 2007 and he only abandoned in the last stage of Paris–Nice. He was also covered the third most competition kilometers in the ProTour.
. Löfkvist also took the white jersey from Romain Feillu
in the first time trial of the 2008 Tour de France
. Löfkvist then finished impressively 12th at the World Championships.
In 2009 he finished 5th at the Tour of California behind Levi Leipheimer
and then won the Monte Paschi Eroica
, his first win in two years. He also finished fourth in the Tirreno–Adriatico and later wore the maglia rosa
at the 2009 Giro d'Italia
.
, where he has chosen to spell his name 'Löfkvist'. Team Sky officials have said that the name appears as 'Löfkvist' on the rider's passport, and he previously has used that spelling in the Olympic games.
In July 2010, Löfkvist finished 17th in the Tour de France (20 minutes, 46 seconds behind winner Alberto Contador
), the highest placed Team Sky rider.
Löfkvist led Team Sky at the 2010 Vuelta a España
, but the team withdrew from after Stage 7 following the death of carer Txema González.
In the absence of Bradley Wiggins, Löfkvist led Team Sky at the 2011 Giro d'Italia
, where he finished 21st overall.
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
professional road bicycle racer riding for the UCI ProTour
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
. He became the youngest Swedish professional road bicycle racer when he started his professional bicycling career in at the age of 19 in 2004. Lövkvist is a good time trialist and has recently improved his climbing abilities, winning the Monte Paschi Eroica
Monte Paschi Eroica
The Montepaschi Strade Bianche, formerly known as Monte Paschi Eroica, is a road bicycle race held annually near Siena, in the region of Tuscany, Italy. The race was first organised in 2007 as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and was held in October. From 2008 on the event has found a space in...
in 2009 with a powerful attack during the steep final kilometer ascent. He has previously used, both within and outside of the cyling world, the surname spelling 'Lövkvist'. Beginning with the cycling season of 2010 he is using his legal surname Löfkvist throughout.
Early years
As a junior, Lövkvist was the European mountain bike champion. Aged 19 he won the Individual Time Trial and the Overall Classification of the prestigious Circuit des Ardennes. Lövkvist also finished sixth and wore the leader's jersey in the 2003 Tour de l'AvenirTour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
. Following this results he turned professional for the French team in 2004.
Française des Jeux
Lövkvist first professional season turned out to be a very successful one. The week after turning 20 he won the last stage Circuit de la SartheCircuit de la Sarthe (cycling)
The Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire is an early-season short road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
with a 171 km breakaway, covering 150 alone after getting rid of Christophe Moreau
Christophe Moreau
Christophe Moreau is a French former professional road racing cyclist. For many years Moreau was the primary French contender for the general classification in the Tour de France: he finished in the top 12 in the GC five times and finished the race as best Frenchman in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005...
. The stage win also gave him the Overall Classification, drawing comparisons with Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
winners Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985...
and Greg Lemond
Greg LeMond
Gregory James LeMond is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States and a three-time winner of the Tour de France. He was born in Lakewood, California and raised in Reno, Nevada....
, who also won the race at the age of 20. Lövkvist finished 10 seconds ahead of Franck Bouyer
Franck Bouyer
Franck Bouyer is a French professional road bicycle racer for who races for Bbox Bouygues Telecom. Bouyer suffers from narcolepsy, resulting in sudden sleep attacks and cataplexy, and was unable to compete or train without Modafinil...
, who four days later earned his revenge by beating Lövkvist in the French semi-classic Paris–Camembert. Later in the season he also won the Swedish National time trial championships and participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics
Cycling at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's road race
Men's Road Race at the 2004 Summer Olympics .In a race that showed numerous break away attempts, it wasn't until Paolo Bettini and Sérgio Paulinho broke away from the group with a couple of laps remaining and opened up a comfortable gap on the final lap that an idea of the medal positions could be...
. In the 2004 Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
he won the last stage and finished second overall on the same time of the winner, Sylvain Calzati
Sylvain Calzati
Sylvain Calzati is a French road bicycle racer for UCI Professional Continental team Bretagne-Schuller. He turned professional during the year 2003 with Team Barloworld. His biggest success is winning the 8th Stage in the 2006 Tour de France. He also won the Tour de l'Avenir in 2004. He currently...
.
Lövkvist began the 2005 season with a 12th place in the Paris–Nice. He made his debut in the Tour de France
2005 Tour de France
The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
as the youngest rider at the age of 21. He also finished 4th in the Tour de Pologne and 14th in the Deutschland Tour. He was later named the Swedish Cyclist of the Year. In 2006 he became the Swedish National Road Race champion and was once again the youngest rider of Tour de France
2006 Tour de France
The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
.
In 2007 he finished second in the Critérium International
Critérium International
The Critérium International is a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932....
after winning the concluding Time Trial. He also competed in the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
and later finished second in the 14th stage of the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
, the best stage result for a Swede
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
since 1982. At the age of 23 he had finished his second Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
of the season and the fourth of his career. Note that Lövkvist was the UCI ProTour
2007 UCI ProTour
The 2007 UCI ProTour is the third year of the UCI ProTour system. Following a dispute and power struggle between the UCI and the organisers of the Grand Tours, ASO, RCS and Unipublic, a number of events were run as ProTour events, although without ProTour licences...
rider with most competition days (84) in 2007 and he only abandoned in the last stage of Paris–Nice. He was also covered the third most competition kilometers in the ProTour.
Team Columbia
Löfkvist joined the for the 2008 season, currently known as . Löfkvist won the best young rider classification and finished third in the Tirreno–Adriatico. His improvement in stage races became clear after he finished fifth in the Tour de Suisse, ahead of his team leader Kim KirchenKim Kirchen
Kim Kirchen is a former Luxembourg road racing cyclist.-Career:Kirchen signed as a professional cyclist in 2000 with De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa, and went on to join in 2001...
. Löfkvist also took the white jersey from Romain Feillu
Romain Feillu
Romain Feillu is a French road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam . He is the older brother of Brice Feillu, who is also a road racing cyclist....
in the first time trial of the 2008 Tour de France
2008 Tour de France
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
. Löfkvist then finished impressively 12th at the World Championships.
In 2009 he finished 5th at the Tour of California behind Levi Leipheimer
Levi Leipheimer
Levi Leipheimer is an American professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . His major results are winning the 2007–2009 editions of the Tour of California, the 2006 Dauphiné Libéré and the 2005 Deutschland Tour, coming in second in the 2008 Vuelta a España, third in the 2001 Vuelta a...
and then won the Monte Paschi Eroica
Monte Paschi Eroica
The Montepaschi Strade Bianche, formerly known as Monte Paschi Eroica, is a road bicycle race held annually near Siena, in the region of Tuscany, Italy. The race was first organised in 2007 as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and was held in October. From 2008 on the event has found a space in...
, his first win in two years. He also finished fourth in the Tirreno–Adriatico and later wore the maglia rosa
Maglia rosa
The pink jersey is awarded to the leader of the General Classification at the Giro d'Italia. The leader of the GC is the rider who has the fastest time when all the stage results are added together, taking into account time bonuses for high finishes and intermediate sprints...
at the 2009 Giro d'Italia
2009 Giro d'Italia
The 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race...
.
Team Sky
On 10 September 2009, Löfkvist was presented as a rider for the newly established British Team SkyTeam Sky
Team Sky is a British professional road bicycle racing team that competes in international road bicycle races. The creation of the team was announced on 26 February 2009 and the team began competition in January 2010....
, where he has chosen to spell his name 'Löfkvist'. Team Sky officials have said that the name appears as 'Löfkvist' on the rider's passport, and he previously has used that spelling in the Olympic games.
In July 2010, Löfkvist finished 17th in the Tour de France (20 minutes, 46 seconds behind winner Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
), the highest placed Team Sky rider.
Löfkvist led Team Sky at the 2010 Vuelta a España
2010 Vuelta a España
The 2010 Vuelta a España was held from August 28 to September 19 and was won by Vincenzo Nibali. The race began in Seville and ended, as is tradition, in Madrid.The race covered...
, but the team withdrew from after Stage 7 following the death of carer Txema González.
In the absence of Bradley Wiggins, Löfkvist led Team Sky at the 2011 Giro d'Italia
2011 Giro d'Italia
The 2011 Giro d'Italia was the 94th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro started on 7 May with a team time trial in Turin to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification, when the city served as the first capital of the single state.The route was...
, where he finished 21st overall.
Palmarès
2003- 1st Overall Circuit des Ardennes
2004
- 1st National Time Trial Championship
- 1st
Overall, Circuit de la SartheCircuit de la Sarthe (cycling)The Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire is an early-season short road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
- 1st Stage 4
- 2nd Paris–Camembert
- 2nd Overall, Tour de l'AvenirTour de l'AvenirTour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
- 1st Stage 10
2005
- 4th Overall Tour of Poland
- 5th Overall Tour MéditerranéenTour MéditerranéenTour Méditerranéen is a professional road bicycle racing event held in southern France along the Mediterranean Sea. The Tour Méditerranéen is a five-day stage race that began in 1974 and since 2005 has been a part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 2.1 event...
2006
- 1st National Road Race Championships2006 National Cycling ChampionshipsMost of the 2006 national road cycling championships took place in June, although there were a few exceptions such as the Australian and American championships which take place in January and September respectively.-Jerseys:...
2007
- 1st Stage 3 (ITT), Critérium InternationalCritérium InternationalThe Critérium International is a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932....
- 2nd Stage 14, Vuelta a España2007 Vuelta a EspañaThe 2007 Vuelta a España, the sixty-second edition of the cycle race, took place from September 1 until September 23, 2007. For the first time in a decade, the race started in the region of Galicia, at Vigo, home to Óscar Pereiro, with a flat stage...
2008
- 2nd Overall, Deutschland Tour2008 Deutschland TourThe 2008 Deutschland Tour road cycling race took place from August 29 to September 6, 2008 in Germany and Austria. It was won by Team Columbia's Linus Gerdemann of Germany...
- 1st
Points Classification - 1st
Young Rider Classification
- 1st
- 3rd Overall, Tirreno–Adriatico
- 3rd Cantons d'Argovie
- 5th Coppa BernocchiCoppa BernocchiThe Coppa Bernocchi is an European bicycle race held in Legnano, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
- 5th Overall, Tour de Suisse
- 8th Monte Paschi EroicaMonte Paschi EroicaThe Montepaschi Strade Bianche, formerly known as Monte Paschi Eroica, is a road bicycle race held annually near Siena, in the region of Tuscany, Italy. The race was first organised in 2007 as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and was held in October. From 2008 on the event has found a space in...
- 9th Overall, Tour of CataloniaTour of CataloniaThe Volta a Catalunya is a popular road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain. It is a part of the UCI World Tour programme, ranking only second behind the Vuelta a España in popularity for Spain. Due to its place in the riding calendar , it was long viewed as an important Tour de France...
- 41st, Overall, Tour de France2008 Tour de FranceThe 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
- Held Young Rider Classification from Stages 4-8
- Held
- 12th, UCI Road World Championships
2009
- 1st Monte Paschi EroicaMonte Paschi EroicaThe Montepaschi Strade Bianche, formerly known as Monte Paschi Eroica, is a road bicycle race held annually near Siena, in the region of Tuscany, Italy. The race was first organised in 2007 as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and was held in October. From 2008 on the event has found a space in...
- 1st Stage 5, Sachsen TourSachsen TourThe Sachsen Tour is a multi-stage road bicycle race held in the region of Saxony, Germany. It was first held in 1985 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Between 1985 and 1995 it was an amateur race....
- 4th Overall, Tirreno–Adriatico
- 1st Young Rider Classification
- 1st
- 5th Overall, Tour of California2009 Tour of CaliforniaThe 2009 Amgen Tour of California was the 4th running of an annual cycling race contained within the state of California. The event was staged February 14–22 and began with a prologue in the state capital of Sacramento. The event was held as part of the schedule of both the UCI America Tour and USA...
- 6th Flèche Wallonne2009 La Flèche WallonneThe 2009 La Flèche Wallonne cycling race took place on 22 April 2009. It was the 73rd running of the La Flèche Wallonne between Charleroi and Huy in Belgium....
- 25th Overall Giro d'Italia2009 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race...
- 1st Stage 1 TTT
Maglia Rosa for Stages 5- Maglia Bianca stages 5-15
2010
- 2nd Strade BiancheMonte Paschi EroicaThe Montepaschi Strade Bianche, formerly known as Monte Paschi Eroica, is a road bicycle race held annually near Siena, in the region of Tuscany, Italy. The race was first organised in 2007 as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and was held in October. From 2008 on the event has found a space in...
- 6th Overall, Tour du LimousinTour du LimousinTour du Limousin is a 4-day road bicycle race held annually in Limousin, France. It was first held in 1968 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2011 it was upgraded to an 2.HC event. Between 1968 and 1974 it was an amateur race.-Winners:-External links:* *...
- 17th Overall, Tour de France2010 Tour de FranceThe 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996...
2011
- 6th Overall, Vuelta a Andalucía2011 Vuelta a AndalucíaThe 2011 Vuelta a Andalucía is the 57th edition of the Vuelta a Andalucía stage race. The previous edition was won by 's Michael Rogers. The race started on 20 February and will finish on 24 February.-Teams:...
- 10th Overall, Tirreno–Adriatico2011 Tirreno–AdriaticoThe 2011 Tirreno–Adriatico was the 46th running of the Tirreno–Adriatico cycling stage race, often known as the Race of two seas. It started on 9 March in Marina di Carrara and ended on 15 March in San Benedetto del Tronto and consisted of seven stages, including a team time trial to begin the race...
Grand Tours overall classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... |
– | – | – | – | 25 2009 Giro d'Italia The 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race... |
– | 21 2011 Giro d'Italia The 2011 Giro d'Italia was the 94th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro started on 7 May with a team time trial in Turin to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification, when the city served as the first capital of the single state.The route was... |
Tour de France The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The... |
61 2005 Tour de France The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was... |
63 2006 Tour de France The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis.... |
64 2007 Tour de France The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain... |
41 2008 Tour de France The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage... |
– | 17 2010 Tour de France The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996... |
– |
 Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages... |
– | – | 54 2007 Vuelta a España The 2007 Vuelta a España, the sixty-second edition of the cycle race, took place from September 1 until September 23, 2007. For the first time in a decade, the race started in the region of Galicia, at Vigo, home to Óscar Pereiro, with a flat stage... |
– | – | WD 2010 Vuelta a España The 2010 Vuelta a España was held from August 28 to September 19 and was won by Vincenzo Nibali. The race began in Seville and ended, as is tradition, in Madrid.The race covered... |
52 2011 Vuelta a España The 2011 Vuelta a España was held from 20 August to 11 September. The race began in Benidorm with a team time trial and ended, as is traditional, in Madrid. The 2011 Vuelta was the 66th edition of the race and was the first Vuelta in 33 years that visited the Basque Country... |