Pamplona locks into final countdown for Vuelta start

Saxo Bank lines up for the fans in the center of Pamplona

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Finish in main bullring on Saturday evening, Caja Rural riders become bullrunners

As Pamplona swelters in what locals say is one of its worst heatwaves in many a year, the northern city is also counting down to its first ever Vuelta a España start this Saturday: a 16.5 kilometre team time trial that will establish the initial differences between the 198 riders taking part in 22 different squads in this year’s race.

Those teams were presented on Friday evening, with Alberto Contador getting the biggest cheers from the Spanish fans.

There may be small time gaps on such a short race against the clock, but with Chris Froome’s losing the 2011 Vuelta by a mere 13 seconds still fresh in the peloton’s collective memory, it’s unlikely anyone will be easing back on the Vuelta’s opening stage.

Racing starts in the early evening, when local Pro Conti team Caja Rural roll down the start ramp in the historic Plaza del Castillo square in central Pamplona at 19:03 local time.

With teams off at four minute intervals, the last squad to get into action will be Movistar, containing defending champion Juan Jose Cobo at 20:27. Hopefully the mid-afternoon temperatures that touched 39 degrees on Friday – and which are expected to do so again on Saturday – have at least begun to ease slightly by that time of day.

As for the course itself, “It’s flat but it’s also

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