2022 Vuelta a España Results: Remco Evenepoel Wins First Grand Tour
The 2022 Vuelta a España was the 77th edition of Spain's premier three-week cycling stage race. The race was held from August 19 to September 11, 2022, with the opening stages taking place in the Netherlands before the race continued into Spain.
The race started in Utrecht and finished in Madrid after 21 stages. Remco Evenepoel of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team won the general classification and claimed his first Grand Tour title.
Evenepoel finished the race with a total time of 80 hours, 26 minutes, and 59 seconds. Enric Mas finished second for Movistar Team, 2 minutes and 2 seconds behind the Belgian rider. Juan Ayuso of UAE Team Emirates completed the overall podium, 4 minutes and 57 seconds behind the winner.
2022 Vuelta a España at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Race | Vuelta a España 2022 |
| Edition | 77th |
| Dates | August 19 to September 11, 2022 |
| Stages | 21 |
| Start | Utrecht, Netherlands |
| Finish | Madrid, Spain |
| Winner | Remco Evenepoel |
| Winning team | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
| Winning time | 80h 26' 59" |
| Second | Enric Mas |
| Third | Juan Ayuso |
The Vuelta a España is one of cycling's three Grand Tours, alongside the 2022 Tour de France and the 2022 Giro d'Italia.
A Historic Victory for Remco Evenepoel
.png "Remco Evenepoel – 2022 Vuelta a España winner in the red jersey")
He delivered the strongest Grand Tour performance of his career and successfully defended the overall lead through the final stages.
The victory was especially significant because it was Evenepoel's first Grand Tour title. At 22 years old, he became the first Belgian rider to win the Vuelta a España.
Evenepoel also won the young rider classification, finishing ahead of Juan Ayuso and João Almeida.
His victory also gave Belgium another rider to lead the general classification in the history of La Vuelta. Evenepoel became the 32nd Belgian rider to wear the race leader's red jersey.
The Opening Stages in the Netherlands
The opening team time trial took place in Utrecht before the race continued through the Netherlands for the following stages.
Stage 3 was held from Breda to Breda over 193.2 kilometers. The route crossed the Belgian border during the stage, making it a notable international section of the opening weekend.
The race then moved into Spain for the remainder of the three-week Grand Tour.
The international opening was one of the distinctive features of the 2022 race, before the peloton continued into the Spanish mountains and major stage-racing terrain.
23 Teams Competed
A total of 23 teams participated in the 2022 Vuelta a España.
The field included 18 UCI WorldTeams and five UCI ProTeams.
UCI WorldTeams
- AG2R Citroën Team
- Astana Qazaqstan Team
- Bora-Hansgrohe
- Cofidis
- EF Education-EasyPost
- Groupama-FDJ
- Ineos Grenadiers
- Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
- Israel-Premier Tech
- Lotto-Soudal
- Movistar Team
- Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
- Team Bahrain Victorious
- Team BikeExchange-Jayco
- Team DSM
- Team Jumbo-Visma
- Trek-Segafredo
- UAE Team Emirates
UCI ProTeams
- Alpecin-Deceuninck
- Arkéa-Samsic
- Burgos BH
- Equipo Kern Pharma
- Euskaltel-Euskadi
Final Overall Results
The general classification was decided after 21 stages, with Evenepoel finishing more than two minutes ahead of Enric Mas.
General Classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remco Evenepoel (BEL) | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 80h 26' 59" |
| 2 | Enric Mas (ESP) | Movistar Team | +2' 02" |
| 3 | Juan Ayuso (ESP) | UAE Team Emirates | +4' 57" |
| 4 | Miguel Ángel López (COL) | Astana Qazaqstan Team | +5' 56" |
| 5 | João Almeida (POR) | UAE Team Emirates | +7' 24" |
| 6 | Thymen Arensman (NED) | Team DSM | +7' 45" |
| 7 | Carlos Rodríguez (ESP) | Ineos Grenadiers | +7' 57" |
| 8 | Ben O'Connor (AUS) | AG2R Citroën Team | +10' 30" |
| 9 | Rigoberto Urán (COL) | EF Education-EasyPost | +11' 04" |
| 10 | Jai Hindley (AUS) | Bora-Hansgrohe | +12' 01" |
The final top three were Evenepoel, Mas and Ayuso.
Points Classification
Mads Pedersen dominated the points competition and finished with 409 points.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mads Pedersen (DEN) | Trek-Segafredo | 409 |
| 2 | Fred Wright (GBR) | Bahrain Victorious | 186 |
| 3 | Enric Mas (ESP) | Movistar Team | 138 |
| 4 | Remco Evenepoel (BEL) | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 133 |
| 5 | Marc Soler (ESP) | UAE Team Emirates | 133 |
| 6 | Danny van Poppel (NED) | Bora-Hansgrohe | 108 |
| 7 | Pascal Ackermann (GER) | UAE Team Emirates | 106 |
| 8 | Richard Carapaz (ECU) | Ineos Grenadiers | 105 |
| 9 | Kaden Groves (AUS) | Team BikeExchange-Jayco | 74 |
| 10 | Juan Sebastián Molano (COL) | UAE Team Emirates | 69 |
Mads Pedersen finished clearly ahead of Fred Wright in the points classification with 409 points to 186.
Mountains Classification
Richard Carapaz won the mountains classification after collecting 73 points.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Carapaz (ECU) | Ineos Grenadiers | 73 |
| 2 | Robert Stannard (AUS) | Alpecin-Deceuninck | 36 |
| 3 | Enric Mas (ESP) | Movistar Team | 28 |
| 4 | Thymen Arensman (NED) | Team DSM | 23 |
| 5 | Remco Evenepoel (BEL) | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 23 |
| 6 | Marc Soler (ESP) | UAE Team Emirates | 23 |
| 7 | Sergio Higuita (COL) | Bora-Hansgrohe | 18 |
| 8 | Miguel Ángel López (COL) | Astana Qazaqstan Team | 17 |
| 9 | Jimmy Janssens (BEL) | Alpecin-Deceuninck | 17 |
| 10 | Rubén Fernández (ESP) | Cofidis | 15 |
Carapaz finished 37 points ahead of Stannard in the final mountains classification.
Young Rider Classification
Remco Evenepoel also won the young rider classification.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remco Evenepoel (BEL) | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 80h 26' 59" |
| 2 | Juan Ayuso (ESP) | UAE Team Emirates | +4' 57" |
| 3 | João Almeida (POR) | UAE Team Emirates | +7' 24" |
| 4 | Thymen Arensman (NED) | Team DSM | +7' 45" |
| 5 | Carlos Rodríguez (ESP) | Ineos Grenadiers | +7' 57" |
| 6 | Gino Mäder (SUI) | Bahrain Victorious | +52' 25" |
| 7 | Sergio Higuita (COL) | Bora-Hansgrohe | +1h 01' 23" |
| 8 | José Félix Parra (ESP) | Equipo Kern Pharma | +1h 05' 02" |
| 9 | Clément Champoussin (FRA) | AG2R Citroën Team | +1h 24' 39" |
| 10 | Edoardo Zambanini (ITA) | Bahrain Victorious | +1h 31' 40" |
Evenepoel's overall victory and young rider victory made the 2022 Vuelta a España a major breakthrough in his Grand Tour career.
Team Classification
UAE Team Emirates won the final team classification.
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | UAE Team Emirates | 240h 36' 32" |
| 2 | Ineos Grenadiers | +55' 35" |
| 3 | Movistar Team | +1h 16' 52" |
| 4 | Bahrain Victorious | +1 h 17' 36" |
| 5 | Astana Qazaqstan Team | +1h 34' 18" |
| 6 | Bora-Hansgrohe | +1 h 38' 20" |
| 7 | Team Jumbo-Visma | +2 h 12' 14" |
| 8 | EF Education-EasyPost | +2h 25' 47" |
| 9 | Groupama-FDJ | +2h 33' 37" |
| 10 | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | +2h 47' 09" |
UAE Team Emirates finished first in the team classification with a total time of 240 hours, 36 minutes and 32 seconds.
Final Stage in Madrid
The 2022 Vuelta a España concluded on September 11 with Stage 21 from Las Rozas to Madrid.
The final stage covered 96.7 kilometres and ended with a sprint finish in Madrid. Juan Sebastián Molano of UAE Team Emirates won the stage, while Remco Evenepoel safely completed the stage to secure the overall victory.
The final day therefore combined a sprint victory for Molano with the overall coronation of Evenepoel as Vuelta a España champion.
2022 Vuelta a España Winners
| Classification | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| General classification | Remco Evenepoel | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
| Points classification | Mads Pedersen | Trek-Segafredo |
| Mountains classification | Richard Carapaz | Ineos Grenadiers |
| Young rider classification | Remco Evenepoel | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team |
| Combativity award | Marc Soler | UAE Team Emirates |
| Team classification | UAE Team Emirates | UAE Team Emirates |
Why the 2022 Vuelta a España Was Important
The 2022 Vuelta a España marked a major turning point in Remco Evenepoel's career.
The Belgian rider arrived with considerable expectations and left Madrid as a Grand Tour winner. His victory also came against a strong field that included experienced Grand Tour riders and several highly rated young riders.
Enric Mas finished second, while 19-year-old Juan Ayuso completed the podium in third. Evenepoel's victory margin over Mas was 2 minutes and 2 seconds, while Ayuso finished 4 minutes and 57 seconds behind the winner.
The result established Evenepoel as a major Grand Tour contender. It also made the 2022 Vuelta a España one of the defining races of his early professional career.
The three Grand Tours remain a major part of the professional road cycling calendar. LankaSport also covers the 2026 Tour de France first week and the latest developments from the world's biggest stage races.
2022 Vuelta a España Final Summary
Remco Evenepoel won the 77th Vuelta a España after three weeks of racing from the Netherlands to Madrid.
He finished first in the general classification and young rider classification. Mads Pedersen won the points classification, Richard Carapaz took the mountains classification, and UAE Team Emirates won the team classification.
The race ended in Madrid on September 11, 2022, with Evenepoel celebrating his first Grand Tour victory.
For comparison with another major European stage race, you can also read LankaSport's coverage of the 2022 Tour de France and the 2022 Giro d'Italia.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2022 Vuelta a España?
Remco Evenepoel of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team won the 2022 Vuelta a España.
Who finished second in the 2022 Vuelta a España?
Enric Mas of Movistar Team finished second, 2 minutes and 2 seconds behind Remco Evenepoel.
Who finished third in the 2022 Vuelta a España?
Juan Ayuso of UAE Team Emirates finished third, 4 minutes and 57 seconds behind the winner.
Who won the 2022 Vuelta a España points classification?
Mads Pedersen of Trek-Segafredo won the points classification with 409 points.
Who won the 2022 Vuelta a España mountains classification?
Richard Carapaz of Ineos Grenadiers won the mountains classification with 73 points.
Who won the 2022 Vuelta a España young rider classification?
Remco Evenepoel won the young rider classification in addition to the general classification.
Where did the 2022 Vuelta a España finish?
The 2022 Vuelta a España finished in Madrid, Spain, on September 11, 2022.
How many stages were in the 2022 Vuelta a España?
The 2022 Vuelta a España consisted of 21 stages.
Updated: August 10, 2026