Exclusive: Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola on cycling and who he's tipping for Vuelta a Espana 2023 - 'I love it'

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has revealed his love for cycling in an exclusive interview with TNT Sports’ Joe Cole, as he makes his predictions for Vuelta a Espana 2023.

Iraola signed a two-year deal with The Cherries in June, replacing Gary O’Neil, following a three-year spell at Rayo Vallecano. Bournemouth v Tottenham will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+ on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League early kick-off.

The Spaniard earned promotion to La Liga with Rayo Vallecano in his first season in charge before guiding them to the semi-finals of the Copa Del Rey the following campaign. Last season, he led the club to an 11th-placed finish in Spain’s top division.

Taking time out of his busy schedule as he settles into life on England’s south coast, Iraola met Cole for a leisurely cycle.

On his early impressions of Bournemouth, Iraola told Cole: “It’s really nice. You see the weather we have here, so I've been lucky. The welcome has been fantastic for me and now is my moment to deliver the results.”

Iraola had been living in Spain’s capital Madrid for the last three years and admits that getting out for a cycle in the city was “really tough”.

He suggests cycling is much easier in Bournemouth, and although his time spent on the roads will be limited, he looks forward to having the opportunity to partake in his hobby.

“It’s difficult when you are a coach, you don’t have a lot of time, but whenever I find a couple of hours, I love it,” he said.

Switching the topic of conversation to this year’s Vuelta a Espana - which will be available to stream on Eurosport and discovery+ - Iraola feels Jumbo-Visma’s rivals will be determined to prevent the team from winning the Grand Tour grand slam.

Jumbo-Visma are hoping to become the first team in the modern era to win all three of cycling’s Grand Tours in a calendar year.

Jonas Vingegaard will be looking to replicate Chris Froome’s Tour de France-La Vuelta double of 2017, while team-mate Primoz Roglic could also pull off the first Giro-Vuelta double since Alberto Contador in 2008.

Cole asked Iraola if he plans on watching La Vuelta, to which he responded: “I will try. Every afternoon, [I will] probably have it on the TV in the background. I will be aware of what’s happening.”

On how he believes the event will unfold, Iraola continued: “I think it will be almost everyone against Jumbo, with Primoz Roglic, with Vingegaard. I think almost everyone will race against them. They have a very strong team and I expect something like this.”

Hailing from Usurbil in the Basque Country, it is no surprise that Iraola has such a passion for cycling.

He explained: “Cycling is something big in the Basque Country... other people used to go to the Pyrenees to see the mountain stages, and sometimes we are lucky that the Tour starts in some of our cities, like this year.

“It looks like an individual sport, but I think it’s very tactical. Your team is very important and I really love it. I love it from the tactical side. I think it’s a very hard sport.”

Bournemouth have one point from their first two games in the Premier League, after drawing their opening match with West Ham 1-1 and losing 3-1 to Liverpool.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Heineken Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media

Stream the Vuelta a Espana and other top cycling live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.com