Usually by the time the Vuelta a Espana rolls around, I'm burned out on the Euro pro cycling scene.

The three-week race around Spain follows the Tour de France by 3 or 4 weeks. That's when all the Tour's post-race doping news is hitting its stride, and I'm fed up with the sport and the cheating cyclists.

Who knows whether this year will be different. The course for the Vuelta is certainly unusual, as it starts in the Dutch city of Assen and the bike race's first three days take place in the Netherlands. Then the peloton passes into Belgium before taking a day off to travel to Tarragona, Spain, to continue the race ...   more »