I personally don't think that Vlasov will be starting La Vuelta but he's on the startlist at PCS and maybe considered for the broader startlist. Already confirmed for the start are Buchmann, Hindley and Higuita. Kelderman himself has shown interest and stated that publicly. But he will probably also leave the team so his participation will certainly be denpendent on if he and the team can agree on smaller role for him in the Vuelta team. Palzer and Wandahl were listed at the start of the season for the Vuelta but a lot has happened since then. Bora used the Vuelta from 2019 on basically as a GT training for younger and unexperienced riders. Now with their success in stage racing they might be not good enough for a team that wants to challenge for the win/podium.
I also don't think that they will bring a classic sprinter. Bennet and Mullen could start according to Dan Lorang but for me that seems unlikely because Bennett is like with the Tour not even the best sprinter considered for the Vuelta. Meeus has the better results this season and also has shown better form recently. If they bring Meeus I think he will have the chance to challenge a few stages, but his main focus will be in a support role, like with van Poppel. From the rest of the startlist on PCS: Walls is clearly not an option as he has no form and had that crash yesterday. Fabbro is also on the startlist but has shown nothing in the past year that would make him a good fit for the team. But he is in Spain currently so he will be an option. The same goes for Laas and Gamper who will also start Burgos. Both also did the Vuelta last year in supporting roles. There are many flat stages, stages with only a hard climb at the end and a TTT in this Vuelta. If they want any chance of a podium and that multi-leader advantage they need to bring some big bodies and work horses for the team. The current team doesn't have the depth to stack three GTs with the talent for that so they have to get creative this time around and then fix that hole in the transfer market.
For the Vuelta I think the team should look like that:
Captain No. 1: Higuita - the Vuelta is his main target this year. His form looks good and he raced really successful this year. Depending on the form of Alaphilippe, the start of Roglic and the postioning of Hayter he could be the favourite to win stage 3,9 and 17 if it goes to the GC group. GC-wise I can't see him win even if his TT improved at Bora. To me he isn't consistent enough, had no nuclear climbing performance in the high mountain until now and still has a few minutes of backage because of the TT. But a Top 10 or even a top 5 are certainly within reach.
Captain No. 1b: Hindley - had his shot at the Giro and nailed it. Higuita had toi wait for the Vuelta so I think it's fine to set Hindley a notch behind him internally at the start. But when it comes to those hard MTFs Hindley could become quickly a contender if he reaches his Giro level in week two of the Vuelta. In my mind he is one of the few guys that could outclimb Remco and Almeida consistently. If thats enough to win - hard to say as they will win time in the TTs and on some other stages.
Rider No. 3 - Free role: Buchmann - the form seems great if he does such things as bridging on the flat like he did on sunday. The Vuelta always seems like a good fit for him but he never got the timing right. The TTs are a problem and he's also missing the explosiveness on the steep stuff and to go with those attacks of the likes of Evenepoel. don't think that this will be a big worry for Bora. if he's there in the Top 10 before stage 14 great - then let's figure out how to use this to the advantage of the team. If he's not he will slot in in a support role maybe with on or two flyers in a break in week three.
Rider No. 4 - super domestique: Kelderman - they need him in the exact same role as in the Giro. If Wilco is committet to that they have to take him. Probably he will have some freedoms to try here and there for a stage if the team feels confident in the rest handling the situation, but the main focus will be bringing Higuita and Hindley in the right spots to the important mountain sections in the Vuelta. His TT also will help the team.
Rider No.5 - The Bodyguard: Gamper - Don't see anyone in the Team ready for the Vuelta that fills this role as competent as Gamper. Great work at the Giro. if in form even smaller mountains aren't a big problem. Also you need this kind of rider if you find yourself under whichever circumstances in the leaders jersey at a point in the race.
Rider No. 6 - The guy for the first phases of the stages: Meeus - he shouldn't go as a sprinter to the Vuelta. But the team needs another guy that could control on the flat, pull team mates back after mechanicals/crashes or keep them out of trouble in the hectic starting weekend. If he can sprint for example on stage 21 or 16 - ok why not. His other big advantage is that the has down decent shorter TT efforts, so he is a body to burn in the TTT. Mullen would be of course even better for nthat role but I figuered he would only start if Bennett does, so I left him out.
Now it gets really thin:
Rider No.7 - Wandahl. Selection based on form. I can't figure out if he will be a big problem in the TTT but he had a good Tour de Wallonie and had some decent efforts in the break this year. So he could be a possible satellite rider, but could be also too much for him in the first GT.
Rider no. 8 - It's a little bit of a unprobable idea because of the startlist on pcs but I would select Zwiehoff if he does well in that czech race. He has proven himself to be a reliable, steady help until the point in the race where the business begins. With that Vuelta course he will be there deep into the stages. What sets him apart from Palzer is his racing instinct which makes him a better domestique and even someone I would put Buchmann or Higuita behind his wheel without getting nervous. Fabbro would be the other option but I wouldn't but in another lightweight rider for this course.
This team seems unlikely but I think its the best Bora could do with the ressources they have left and accepting that they are sending viable options like Politt, Schachmann, Koch and Haller to other races like the Deutschland Tour or that race in Hamburg.
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