Breakouts, Busts, Thrills and Spills: Roglič Rules, But How Does the Vuelta Rate?
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From brutal heat to near-record attrition, a chaotic Vuelta delivered non-stop thrills, but missed out on a larger narrative to make it great.

How good was the 2024 Vuelta a España?

Record heat, a brutally hard course, and animated racing made it interesting, but was it good?

This rough-and-tumble Vuelta had a lot going for it.

Primož Roglič won a record-tying fourth crown that seemed all but inevitable even with a banged up back and a late-race bad tummy. With the other three of the “Big 4” sitting on the sidelines, who was going to beat him anyway?

Ben O’Connor at least made it interesting after pulling a “Kuss” on the exact same stage that Sepp Kuss sprung clear last year to win. The Australian finally buckled to Roglič’s incessant tapping in stage 19, but he didn’t fully crack, and hung on for a well-deserved first career podium.

Behind those two, this Vuelta was a bit of a mixed bag.

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