Lisbon, Oeiras, and Cascais will host the official start of La Vuelta 24. The information was officially announced on the afternoon of Sunday, September 17th, by Javier Guillén, the race’s general director, in the presence of João Mira-Gomes, Portugal’s ambassador to Spain. The 79th edition of La Vuelta will commence on August 17, 2024, and, as usual, will finish in Madrid on September 8.
The opening day (August 17) will begin in Lisbon and conclude in Oeiras. On the second stage (August 18), the peloton will depart from Cascais and head north to the city of Ourém. The third stage of La Vuelta 2024 in Portuguese territory will take place between the cities of Lousã and Castelo Branco on August 19.
Lisbon already knows what it’s like to host the official start of La Vuelta. In fact, it was the first foreign city to host a race start. Specifically, it happened in the 1997 edition when the Portuguese capital welcomed the first three stages of the competition. This historic edition concluded in Madrid with the victory of Alex Zulle.
The start in Lisbon, Oeiras, and Cascais will be the fifth on foreign soil in the 89-year history of the race. Apart from Lisbon, mentioned earlier, the race also started from Assen (2009), Nimes (2017), and Utrecht (2022).