The 2009 Vuelta a España was the 64th Vuelta a España. The event took place from 29 August to 20 September 2009. For only the second time in the race's history, it began away from Spanish soil, with the race not in fact reaching Spain until Stage 5.

2009 Vuelta a España
2009 UCI World Ranking, race 23 of 24
Race details
Dates29 August–20 September
Stages21
Distance3,292.3 km (2,046 mi)
Winning time87h 22' 37"
Results
Winner  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (Caisse d'Epargne)
  Second  Samuel Sánchez (ESP) (Euskaltel–Euskadi)
  Third  Cadel Evans (AUS) (Silence–Lotto)

Points  André Greipel (GER) (Team Columbia–HTC)
Mountains  David Moncoutié (FRA) (Cofidis)
Combination  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (Caisse d'Epargne)
  Team Xacobeo–Galicia
← 2008
2010 →

The 2009 Vuelta has been described as having an easy start and a hard finish.[1] This is because of the short individual time trial and three perfectly flat stages in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium (along with another in Spain in the race's first week), and eight of the final fourteen stages being mountain stages, with four mountaintop finishes.

The race was won by Spain's Alejandro Valverde who claimed his first grand tour victory.[2][3]

Teams

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29 teams sought places in the race, of which 21 were initially invited to compete.[4] Fuji–Servetto, one of two UCI ProTour teams omitted from the list of invited teams, appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and were subsequently granted the right to enter. Team Katusha are thus the only ProTour team absent from the race.

Stages

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For details see 2009 Vuelta a España, Stage 1 to Stage 11 and 2009 Vuelta a España, Stage 12 to Stage 21.

Stage characteristics and winners[5]
Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner
1 29 Aug Assen (Netherlands) 4.8 km (3 mi)   Individual time trial   Fabian Cancellara (SUI)
2 30 Aug Assen (Netherlands) to Emmen (Netherlands) 203.7 km (127 mi)   Flat stage   Gerald Ciolek (GER)
3 31 Aug Zutphen (Netherlands) to Venlo (Netherlands) 189.7 km (118 mi)   Flat stage   Greg Henderson (NZL)
4 1 Sept Venlo (Netherlands) to Liège (Belgium) 225.5 km (140 mi)   Flat stage   André Greipel (GER)
2 Sept Rest/travel day
5 3 Sept Tarragona to Vinaròs 174.0 km (108 mi)   Flat stage   André Greipel (GER)
6 4 Sept Xàtiva 176.8 km (110 mi)   Flat stage   Borut Božič (SLO)
7 5 Sept Valencia 30.0 km (19 mi)   Individual time trial   Fabian Cancellara (SUI)
8 6 Sept Alzira to Alto de Aitana 204.7 km (127 mi)   Mountain stage   Damiano Cunego (ITA)
9 7 Sept Alcoy to Xorret de Catí 188.8 km (117 mi)   Mountain stage   Gustavo César Veloso (ESP)
10 8 Sept Alicante to Murcia 171.2 km (106 mi)   Flat stage   Simon Gerrans (AUS)
11 9 Sept Murcia to Caravaca de la Cruz 200.0 km (124 mi)   Transition stage   Tyler Farrar (USA)
10 Sept Rest day
12 11 Sept Almería to Alto de Velefique 179.3 km (111 mi)   Mountain stage   Ryder Hesjedal (CAN)
13 12 Sept Berja to Sierra Nevada 172.4 km (107 mi)   Mountain stage   David Moncoutié (FRA)
14 13 Sept Granada to La Pandera 157.0 km (98 mi)   Mountain stage   Damiano Cunego (ITA)
15 14 Sept Jaén to Córdoba 167.7 km (104 mi)   Transition stage   Lars Boom (NED)
16 15 Sept Córdoba to Puertollano 170.3 km (106 mi)   Flat stage   André Greipel (GER)
17 16 Sept Ciudad Real to Talavera de la Reina 193.6 km (120 mi)   Flat stage   Anthony Roux (FRA)
18 17 Sept Talavera de la Reina to Ávila 165.0 km (103 mi)   Transition stage   Philip Deignan (IRL)
19 18 Sept Ávila to La Granja de San Ildefonso 179.8 km (112 mi)   Mountain stage   Juan José Cobo (ESP)
  Alejandro Valverde (ESP)[6]
20 19 Sept Toledo 27.8 km (17 mi)   Individual time trial   David Millar (GB)
21 20 Sept Rivas-Vaciamadrid to Madrid 110.2 km (68 mi)   Flat stage   André Greipel (GER)
TOTAL 3,292.3 km (2,046 mi)

Classification leadership

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In the 2009 Vuelta a España, four different jerseys are awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding the finishing times of the stages per cyclist after deduction of time bonuses for high placings in stage finishes and at intermediate sprints, the leader receives a golden jersey. This classification is considered the most important of the Vuelta a España, and the winner of the general classification is considered the winner of the Vuelta.

Additionally, there is also a points classification, which awards a green jersey. In the points classification, cyclists receive points for finishing in the top 15 in a stage. The winner gets 25 points, second place 20, third 16, fourth 14, fifth 12, sixth 10, and one point per place less down the line, to a single point for fifteenth. In addition, some points can be won in intermediate sprints.

There is also a mountains classification, which awards a red jersey. In the mountains classifications, points were won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. Each climb is categorized, with most of the climbs being either first, second, third, or fourth category. There are also three "special category" climbs (equivalent to hors catégorie in the Tour de France); these are the stage finishes on the Alto de Aitana, the Alto de Sierra Nevada, and the Sierra de La Pandera. These climbs award even more points than a first-category climb.

Finally, there is the combination classification. This is calculated by adding the rankings in the general, points and mountains classifications; the cyclist with the lowest combined ranking is the leader in the combination classification, and receives a white jersey.

There is also a classification for teams. In this classification, the times of the best three cyclists per stage are added, and the team with the lowest time is the leader.

Stage Winner General classification
 
Maillot Oro
Points classification
 
Maillot Puntos
Mountains classification
 
Maillot Montaña
Combination Classification
 
Maillot Combinada
Team classification
Clasificación por equipos
1 Fabian Cancellara Fabian Cancellara Fabian Cancellara Not Awarded Fabian Cancellara Liquigas
2 Gerald Ciolek Tom Boonen Tom Leezer
3 Greg Henderson
4 André Greipel André Greipel Lars Boom Dominik Roels Team Columbia–HTC
5 André Greipel André Greipel Aitor Hernández Serafín Martínez Liquigas
6 Borut Božič José Antonio López
7 Fabian Cancellara Fabian Cancellara Dominik Roels Garmin–Slipstream
8 Damiano Cunego Cadel Evans David Moncoutié Cadel Evans Caisse d'Epargne
9 Gustavo César Veloso Alejandro Valverde
10 Simon Gerrans David de la Fuente
11 Tyler Farrar David Moncoutié
12 Ryder Hesjedal Alejandro Valverde
13 David Moncoutié
14 Damiano Cunego Alejandro Valverde
15 Lars Boom Xacobeo–Galicia
16 André Greipel André Greipel
17 Anthony Roux
18 Philip Deignan
19 Juan José Cobo[7]
Alejandro Valverde
20 David Millar
21 André Greipel
Final Alejandro Valverde André Greipel David Moncoutié Alejandro Valverde Xacobeo–Galicia
Jersey wearers when one rider is leading two or more competitions

If a cyclist leads two or more competitions at the end of a stage, he receives all those jerseys. In the next stage, he can only wear one jersey, and he wears the jersey representing leadership in the most important competition (golden first, then green, then granate, then white). The other jerseys that the cyclists owns are worn in the next stage by the second-place (or, if needed, third or fourth-place) rider in that classification.

Final standings

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After stage 21

Teams Classification

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Team Time
1 Xacobeo–Galicia 261h 57' 19"
2 Caisse d'Epargne + 23' 43"
3 Astana + 31' 39"
4 Cofidis + 39' 37"
5 Fuji–Servetto + 52' 13"
6 Rabobank + 57' 35"
7 Euskaltel–Euskadi + 1h 04' 40"
8 Silence–Lotto + 1h 07' 04"
9 Cervélo TestTeam + 1h 19' 27"
10 Liquigas + 1h 34' 05"

World Rankings points

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The Vuelta was the penultimate event in the 2009 UCI World Ranking. The rankings leader, Alberto Contador, did not compete in the event, but five of the top ten did, including the race winner, Valverde, who earned enough points to ensure that the title was not yet decided. Valverde, however, remained banned from riding in Italy, and so did not take part in the final ranking event, the 2009 Giro di Lombardia.

Vuelta

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Rider Team Nationality Stage points Points for final position Total
Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne   Spain 18 170 188
Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel–Euskadi   Spain 14 130 144
Cadel Evans Silence–Lotto   Australia 10 100 110
Ezequiel Mosquera Xacobeo–Galicia   Spain 12 80 92
Ivan Basso Liquigas   Italy 1 90 91
Robert Gesink Rabobank   Netherlands 11 70 81
André Greipel Team Columbia–HTC   Germany 73 73
Philip Deignan Cervélo TestTeam   Ireland 16 44 60
Joaquim Rodríguez Caisse d'Epargne   Spain 60 60
Juan José Cobo Fuji–Servetto   Spain 16 38 54
Paolo Tiralongo Lampre–NGC   Italy 52 52
Damiano Cunego Lampre–NGC   Italy 33 33
Daniel Moreno Caisse d'Epargne   Spain 1 32 33
Fabian Cancellara Team Saxo Bank    Switzerland 32 32
Tyler Farrar Garmin–Slipstream   United States 31 31
Borut Božič Vacansoleil   Slovenia 28 28
Johnny Hoogerland Vacansoleil   Netherlands 26 26
Ryder Hesjedal Garmin–Slipstream   Canada 24 24
David Millar Garmin–Slipstream   United Kingdom 24 24
David Moncoutié Cofidis   France 24 24
Daniele Bennati Liquigas   Italy 23 23
Daniel Navarro Astana   Spain 22 22
William Bonnet Bbox Bouygues Telecom   France 18 18
Gustavo Cesar Xacobeo–Galicia   Spain 18 18
Gerald Ciolek Team Milram   Germany 18 18
Haimar Zubeldia Astana   Spain 18 18
Tom Boonen Quick-Step   Belgium 17 17
Lars Boom Rabobank   Netherlands 16 16
Jakob Fuglsang Team Saxo Bank   Denmark 16 16
Simon Gerrans Cervélo TestTeam   Australia 16 16
Greg Henderson Team Columbia–HTC   New Zealand 16 16
Anthony Roux Française des Jeux   France 16 16
Manuel Vázquez Contentpolis-Ampo   Spain 2 14 16
Vasil Kiryienka Caisse d'Epargne   Belarus 1 10 11
David Herrero Xacobeo–Galicia   Spain 10 10
Roman Kreuziger Liquigas   Czech Republic 9 9
David García Xacobeo–Galicia   Spain 8 8
Philippe Gilbert Silence–Lotto   Belgium 8 8
Bert Grabsch Team Columbia–HTC   Germany 8 8
Marco Marzano Lampre–NGC   Italy 8 8
Fabio Sabatini Liquigas   Italy 8 8
Sylwester Szmyd Liquigas   Poland 8 8
Wouter Weylandt Quick-Step   Belgium 8 8
Amaël Moinard Cofidis   France 6 6
Roger Hammond Cervélo TestTeam   United Kingdom 4 4
Leonardo Duque Cofidis   Colombia 4 4
Óscar Freire Rabobank   Spain 4 4
Jesús Hernández Astana   Spain 4 4
Marco Marcato Vacansoleil   Italy 4 4
Dominik Roels Team Milram   Germany 4 4
David de la Fuente Fuji–Servetto   Spain 2 2
Kevin De Weert Quick-Step   Belgium 2 2
Iñaki Isasi Euskaltel–Euskadi   Spain 2 2
Jens Mouris Vacansoleil   Netherlands 2 2
Francisco José Pacheco Contentpolis-Ampo   Spain 2 2
Marcel Sieberg Team Columbia–HTC   Germany 2 2
Davide Viganò Fuji–Servetto   Italy 2 2
Alexander Vinokourov Astana   Kazakhstan 2 2
Igor Antón Euskaltel–Euskadi   Spain 1 1
Adam Hansen Team Columbia–HTC   Australia 1 1
Sébastien Hinault Ag2r–La Mondiale   France 1 1
Maxim Iglinsky Astana   Kazakhstan 1 1
Marco Velo Quick-Step   Italy 1 1

References

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  1. ^ "2009 Vuelta a España Route, Stages, Teams, TV Schedule, Results, Video and Photos (Tour of Spain)". Archived from the original on 2009-08-22. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
  2. ^ "Alejandro Valverde wins Tour of Spain". The Telegraph. 2009-09-20. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  3. ^ "Valverde cruises to first Vuelta victory". CNN.com. 2009-09-20. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  4. ^ "Vuelta's 2009 teams announced". Autobus.cyclingnews.com. 2009-06-12. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
  5. ^ [1] Archived August 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Ballinger, Alex (19 June 2019). "Alejandro Valverde could be handed Vuelta a España stage victory after Juan José Cobo found guilty of doping". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  7. ^ Long, Jonny (18 June 2019). "Juan José Cobo has been stripped of his 2011 Vuelta a España title after being found guilty of doping". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
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