August 28, 2008 - Change of scene, change of culture, change of tempo - the Vuelta a España signals a full return to European stage-racing after the successful interruption of the Olympic Games earlier this month. Even in a normal racing season, there is nothing quite like a 'grande tour' to get the sport's enthusiasts all fired up - and there is nothing as potent as an end-of-season Vuelta complete with its all-star cast of Giro and Tour champions to excite the watching world. For Spanish and Astana fans alike, this Vuelta carries even greater weight because of the possibility that Alberto Contador will become the first-ever Spaniard to win all three major tours. Following on from his Tour win in 2007 and his Giro win earlier this spring, Contador has all the attributes of a Vuelta conquistador, and I for one would not dare to bet against him winning.

Okay, there is the threat of Alejandro Valverde - winner of the Dauphiné this June - as well as Tour champion Carlos Sastre to worry Astana's leader. Not to mention Robert Gesink, the young Dutch climber who will be starting his first-ever three-weeks stage race and wanting to impress in the mountains. But let's be honest, a combination of a fully-fit Contador and his awesome support act of Astana teamates should prove too much a hurdle for any of his rivals to overcome. Unlike in May, when Contador and most of his teamates were so ill-prepared it was a miracle that he got anywhere near to winning, the Contador who starts in Granada this Saturday evening will be a man with 100% of his ability and strength to dispose of as he sees fit. And the recent news that Andreas Kloden and Levi Leipheimer are is in Astana's Vuelta line-up adds a further asset to the team for whom overall victory in the Vuelta is a massive obligation, one not to be taken lightly.

The route? A fairly typical Vuelta offering, with stages for all kinds of cyclists, though tilted in favour of the climbers with that ascent of the Angliru on stage thirteen and the uphill time trial on the penultimate day. Three stages stand out as truly formidable - to Andorra, after seven days, El Angliru, and to Estacion Fuentes de Invierno one day later - but there is no Vuelta stage that does not carry at least some potential to spread fear. We'll have the dry heat of the south and centre to contend with for a week, before that jolting bash to Andorra after the race's first rest-day. I'll be surprised if Contador has made his move before Andorra, and he may even wait until the climb of the Angliru to wrest control for good, using the remaining stages to showcase his athletically prowess. But we mustn't forget the little man is riding his first Vuelta a España, and that there are no guarantees it will all go smoothly for him. Let's talk again after that opening team time trial in Granada…

The Vuelta has a lot more to offer than just its three-way Spanish armada of climbers. It has the likes of Tom Boonen, Alessandro Ballan, Daniele Bennati, Oscar Freire and Leonardo Duque to ignite the sprinting, and opportunists like Paolo Bettini, Stefan Schumacher, Damiano Cunego, Filippo Pozatto, Davide Rebellin and Sylvain Chavanel who are certain to sneak away in the race's biggest escapes and keep at least me amused in the run-up to the World Championships. I've watched Bettini prepare himself for the Worlds in this way for the past few years, and always marvelled at the man's canniness. The Italian usually targets a stage early-on, and another one towards the end for a high-level training ride - not caring if he wins or loses a stage because of it. He'll also be here to see which of his compatriots can accompany him to Varese in September, and to whom he'll often gift a stage-win or two to ensure their loyalty next month.

I'm in need of a change in culture after three weeks in Beijing, not to mention some solid European food and wine! The follow up to my last 'blog' is that I managed to find some nicer restaurants at the Olympics on just three occasions, with those five late nights at the velodrome obliging me to eat a canteen sort of food in the main press centre each night. I really didn't mind though, as the British track team gave me something to cheer about each and every evening, and motivated me to even splash out on a second bottle of 'Great Wall' Cabernet Sauvignon sometimes. In the Vuelta, I'll be looking for copious amounts of Rioja and Ribera del Duero, using them to wash down some thick Chuletones, or the glorious seafood of Spain's northern coast. I'll be permanently hungry, for the bicycle is coming with me again - with stage-starts as late as 2.00pm on some days, this is a race to be savoured as both a cyclist and photographer. I also get to visit three of my favourite Spanish cities - Cordoba, Zaragosa and Segovia. So life could be a lot worse right now…

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