2009 Vuelta a España

Template:Short description Template:Short description 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.

The 2009 Vuelta has been described as having an easy start and a hard finish. 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.

Teams

29 teams sought places in the race, of which 21 were initially invited to compete. Template:Cycling data FUJ, 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. Template:Cycling data KAT are thus the only ProTour team absent from the race.

Template:Cycling data ALM Template:Cycling data ACG Astana Template:Cycling data BBO Cervélo TestTeam Template:Cycling data GCE Template:Cycling data COF Template:Cycling data MCO

Template:Cycling data EUS Française des Jeux Template:Cycling data FUJ Template:Cycling data GRM Template:Cycling data LAM Liquigas Template:Cycling data QST

Template:Cycling data RAB Template:Cycling data SIL Team Columbia–HTC Team Milram Team Saxo Bank Template:Cycling data VAC Template:Cycling data XGZ

Stages

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

Stage	Date	Course	Distance	Type		Winner
1	29 Aug	Assen (Netherlands)		File:Time Trial.svg	Individual time trial	Template:Flagathlete
2	30 Aug	Assen (Netherlands) to Emmen (Netherlands)		File:Plainstage.svg	Flat stage	Template:Flagathlete
3	31 Aug	Zutphen (Netherlands) to Venlo (Netherlands)		File:Plainstage.svg	Flat stage	Template:Flagathlete
4	1 Sept	Venlo (Netherlands) to Liège (Belgium)		File:Plainstage.svg	Flat stage	Template:Flagathlete
	2 Sept	Rest/travel day
5	3 Sept	Tarragona to Vinaròs		File:Plainstage.svg	Flat stage	Template:Flagathlete
6	4 Sept	Xàtiva		File:Plainstage.svg	Flat stage	Template:Flagathlete
7	5 Sept	Valencia		File:Time Trial.svg	Individual time trial	Template:Flagathlete
8	6 Sept	Alzira to Alto de Aitana		File:Mountainstage.svg	Mountain stage	Template:Flagathlete
9	7 Sept	Alcoy to Xorret de Catí		File:Mountainstage.svg	Mountain stage	Template:Flagathlete
10	8 Sept	Alicante to Murcia		File:Plainstage.svg	Flat stage	Template:Flagathlete
11	9 Sept	Murcia to Caravaca de la Cruz		File:Mediummountainstage.svg	Transition stage	Template:Flagathlete
	10 Sept	Rest day
12	11 Sept	Almería to Alto de Velefique		File:Mountainstage.svg	Mountain stage	Template:Flagathlete
13	12 Sept	Berja to Sierra Nevada		File:Mountainstage.svg	Mountain stage	Template:Flagathlete
14	13 Sept	Granada to La Pandera		File:Mountainstage.svg	Mountain stage	Template:Flagathlete
15	14 Sept	Jaén to Córdoba		File:Mediummountainstage.svg	Transition stage	Template:Flagathlete
16	15 Sept	Córdoba to Puertollano		File:Plainstage.svg	Flat stage	Template:Flagathlete
17	16 Sept	Ciudad Real to Talavera de la Reina		File:Plainstage.svg	Flat stage	Template:Flagathlete
18	17 Sept	Talavera de la Reina to Ávila		File:Mediummountainstage.svg	Transition stage	Template:Flagathlete
19	18 Sept	Ávila to La Granja de San Ildefonso		File:Mountainstage.svg	Mountain stage	Template:Flagathlete Template:Flagathlete
20	19 Sept	Toledo		File:Time Trial.svg	Individual time trial	Template:Flagathlete
21	20 Sept	Rivas-Vaciamadrid to Madrid		File:Plainstage.svg	Flat stage	Template:Flagathlete
	TOTAL

Classification leadership

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 File:Jersey gold.svg Maillot Oro	Points classification File:Jersey green.svg Maillot Puntos	Mountains classification File:Jersey granate.svg Maillot Montaña	Combination Classification File:Jersey white.svg 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	Template:Cycling data GRM
8	Damiano Cunego	Cadel Evans		David Moncoutié	Cadel Evans	Template:Cycling data GCE
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					Template:Cycling data XGZ
16	André Greipel		André Greipel
17	Anthony Roux
18	Philip Deignan
19	Juan José Cobo Alejandro Valverde
20	David Millar
21	André Greipel
Final		Alejandro Valverde	André Greipel	David Moncoutié	Alejandro Valverde	Template:Cycling data XGZ

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.

• In Stage 2, Tom Boonen wore the green jersey, and Tyler Farrar wore the white jersey
• In Stage 3, Gerald Ciolek wore the white jersey
• In Stage 4, Greg Henderson wore the white jersey
• In Stages 6 & 7, Tom Boonen wore the green jersey
• In Stage 9, Damiano Cunego wore the white jersey
• In Stage 13, Cadel Evans wore the white jersey
• In Stages 14–19, Robert Gesink wore the white jersey
• In Stage 15 & 16, André Greipel wore the green jersey
• In Stage 20, Ezequiel Mosquera wore the white jersey
• In Stage 21, Samuel Sánchez wore the white jersey

Final standings

After stage 21

General Classification

	Rider	Team	Time
1	Template:Flagathlete Valverde retained the golden jersey as general classification leader after this stageValverde retained the white jersey as combination classification leader after this stage	Template:Cycling data GCE	87h 22' 37"
2	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data EUS	+ 55"
3	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data SIL	+ 1' 32"
4	Template:Flagathlete	Liquigas	+ 2' 12"
5	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data XGZ	+ 4' 27"
6	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data RAB	+ 6' 40"
7	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data GCE	+ 9' 08"
8	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data LAM	+ 9' 11"
9	Template:Flagathlete	Cervélo TestTeam	+ 11' 08"
DSQ	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data FUJ	+ 11' 27"

Points Classification

	Rider	Team	Points
1	Template:FlagathleteGreipel retained the green jersey as points classification leader after this stage	Team Columbia–HTC	150
2	Template:FlagathleteValverde retained the golden jersey as general overall leader after this stageValverde retained the white jersey as combination classification leader after this stage	Template:Cycling data GCE	111
3	Template:Flagathlete	Liquigas	101
4	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data SIL	99
5	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data EUS	89
6	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data VAC	68
7	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data XGZ	68
8	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data RAB	68
9	Template:Flagathlete	Liquigas	64
10	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data COF	64

King of the Mountains Classification

	Rider	Team	Points
1	Template:FlagathleteMoncoutié retained the granate jersey as King of the Mountains classification leader after this stage	Template:Cycling data COF	186
2	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data FUJ	99
3	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data MCO	73
4	Template:FlagathleteValverde retained the golden jersey as general overall classification leader after this stageValverde retained the white jersey as combination classification leader after this stage	Template:Cycling data GCE	67
5	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data XGZ	61
6	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data RAB	60
7	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data ACG	59
8	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data RAB	58
9	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data VAC	54
10	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data EUS	52

Combination Classification

	Rider	Team	Points
1	Template:FlagathleteValverde retained the golden jersey as the overall leader after this stageValverde retained the white jersey as the combination classification leader after this stage	Template:Cycling data GCE	7
2	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data EUS	17
3	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data XGZ	17
4	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data SIL	19
5	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data RAB	22
6	Template:Flagathlete	Liquigas	29
7	Template:FlagathleteMoncoutié retained the granate jersey as King of the Mountains leader after this stage	Template:Cycling data COF	40
8	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data VAC	52
DSQ	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data FUJ	53
10	Template:Flagathlete	Template:Cycling data GCE	58

Teams Classification

	Team	Time
1	Template:Cycling data XGZ	261h 57' 19"
2	Template:Cycling data GCE	+ 23' 43"
3	Astana	+ 31' 39"
4	Template:Cycling data COF	+ 39' 37"
5	Template:Cycling data FUJ	+ 52' 13"
6	Template:Cycling data RAB	+ 57' 35"
7	Template:Cycling data EUS	+ 1h 04' 40"
8	Template:Cycling data SIL	+ 1h 07' 04"
9	Cervélo TestTeam	+ 1h 19' 27"
10	Liquigas	+ 1h 34' 05"

World Rankings points

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

Rider	Team	Nationality	Stage points	Points for final position	Total
	Template:Cycling data GCE	Template:Flagu	18	170	188
	Template:Cycling data EUS	Template:Flagu	14	130	144
	Template:Cycling data SIL	Template:Flagu	10	100	110
	Template:Cycling data XGZ	Template:Flagu	12	80	92
	Liquigas	Template:Flagu	1	90	91
	Template:Cycling data RAB	Template:Flagu	11	70	81
	Team Columbia–HTC	Template:Flagu	73		73
	Cervélo TestTeam		16	44	60
	Template:Cycling data GCE	Template:Flagu		60	60
	Template:Cycling data FUJ	Template:Flagu	16	38	54
	Template:Cycling data LAM	Template:Flagu		52	52
	Template:Cycling data LAM	Template:Flagu	33		33
	Template:Cycling data GCE	Template:Flagu	1	32	33
	Team Saxo Bank	Template:Flagu	32		32
	Template:Cycling data GRM	Template:Flagu	31		31
	Template:Cycling data VAC		28		28
	Template:Cycling data VAC	Template:Flagu		26	26
	Template:Cycling data GRM	Template:Flagu	24		24
	Template:Cycling data GRM	Template:Flagu	24		24
	Template:Cycling data COF	Template:Flagu	24		24
	Liquigas	Template:Flagu	23		23
	Astana	Template:Flagu		22	22
	Template:Cycling data BBO	Template:Flagu	18		18
	Template:Cycling data XGZ	Template:Flagu	18		18
	Team Milram	Template:Flagu	18		18
	Astana	Template:Flagu		18	18
	Template:Cycling data QST	Template:Flagu	17		17
	Template:Cycling data RAB	Template:Flagu	16		16
	Team Saxo Bank		16		16
	Cervélo TestTeam	Template:Flagu	16		16
	Team Columbia–HTC	Template:Flagu	16		16
	Française des Jeux	Template:Flagu	16		16
	Contentpolis-Ampo	Template:Flagu	2	14	16
	Template:Cycling data GCE		1	10	11
	Template:Cycling data XGZ	Template:Flagu	10		10
	Liquigas		9		9
	Template:Cycling data XGZ	Template:Flagu	8		8
	Template:Cycling data SIL	Template:Flagu	8		8
	Team Columbia–HTC	Template:Flagu	8		8
	Template:Cycling data LAM	Template:Flagu	8		8
	Liquigas	Template:Flagu	8		8
	Liquigas	Template:Flagu		8	8
	Template:Cycling data QST	Template:Flagu	8		8
	Template:Cycling data COF	Template:Flagu		6	6
	Cervélo TestTeam	Template:Flagu	4		4
	Template:Cycling data COF		4		4
	Template:Cycling data RAB	Template:Flagu	4		4
	Astana	Template:Flagu		4	4
	Template:Cycling data VAC	Template:Flagu	4		4
	Team Milram	Template:Flagu	4		4
	Template:Cycling data FUJ	Template:Flagu	2		2
	Template:Cycling data QST	Template:Flagu		2	2
	Template:Cycling data EUS	Template:Flagu	2		2
	Template:Cycling data VAC	Template:Flagu	2		2
	Contentpolis-Ampo	Template:Flagu	2		2
	Team Columbia–HTC	Template:Flagu	2		2
	Template:Cycling data FUJ	Template:Flagu	2		2
	Astana		2		2
	Template:Cycling data EUS	Template:Flagu	1		1
	Team Columbia–HTC	Template:Flagu	1		1
	Template:Cycling data ALM	Template:Flagu	1		1
	Astana		1		1
	Template:Cycling data QST	Template:Flagu	1		1

External links

• cyclingnews.com