2015 La Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta
The 2015 La Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta was held on 13 September 2015, in Madrid, Spain. It coincided with the final day of the 2015 Vuelta a España, and was scheduled a few hours before the conclusion to the men's race. It was the first edition of La Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta. A multi-lap course, the 87 kilometres (54 mi) women's road cycling race was rated as a 1.1 category race. It was won by Shelley Olds (Alé–Cipollini), who beat Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle–Honda) and Kirsten Wild.
The race started and finished alongside the Cybele Palace in Plaza de Cibeles.
The 2015 Vuelta a España was a three-week Grand Tour cycling race. The race was the 70th edition of the Vuelta a España and took place principally in Spain, although two stages took place partly or wholly in Andorra, and was the 22nd race in the 2015 UCI World Tour. The 3,358.1-kilometre (2,086.6 mi) race included 21 stages, beginning in Marbella on 22 August 2015 and finishing in Madrid on 13 September. It was won by Fabio Aru, with Joaquim Rodríguez second and Rafał Majka (Tinkoff–Saxo) third.
Stage 11, a very difficult mountain stage, took place in Andorra and finished in the mountains around Encamp.
The flat individual time trial on Stage 17 finished next to Burgos Cathedral.
Tom Dumoulin (Team Giant–Alpecin) held the leader's red jersey after stages 5, 9, 10, 17, 18 and 19 (photographed at the 2015 Tour de France).
Joaquim Rodríguez (Team Katusha) took the lead at the end of Stage 16 after taking time throughout the second week (photographed at the 2015 Liège–Bastogne–Liège).
