Vuelta a Espana - Overall Prediction

One Cat 3 climb, and could prove interesting for the sprinters:

From  http://www.lavuelta.com/08/ingles/recorrido/etapa2.html?e=2 :

The first stage of the Vuelta, covering 167 kilometres from Granada-Jaén, will also introduce the first king of the mountain, since the 3rd category climb at Las Encebras will put that jersey into play. Nonetheless, the real excitement will come in the final kilometres on a truly spectacular urban circuit.

The cyclists will arrive in Jaén and subsequently take two laps around a 25 kilometre circuit worthy of a World Championship. Two demanding uphill climbs will make it tough on the sprinters and their teammates to achieve their goal of forcing a sprint finish, since the fan formation of the favourites group will be much more open.

History: The last Vuelta stage finish in Jaén came in 1991, the year Melchor Mauri beat Miguel Indurain. The stage victory in the Andalusian city went to Jesús Cruz Martín. Since then, the Vuelta has returned three times to Jaén, but always via the summit of La Pandera

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My stage 2 predictions:

1 - Juan Antonio Flecha - Rabobank
2 - Paolo Bettini - Quickstep
3 - Sylvain Chavanel - Cofidis

editor's note: Just to remind everyone that my picks were so horrible during the TdF that I called them the "Picks of Death"

For the overall I'll go for:

1. Contador
2. Sastre
3. Kloden

I really can't see anybody getting anywhere near Contador given that
a) he won the giro with no training;
b) the giro had a classier field, and
c) he's trained specifically for the Vuelta.

It would also be nice if Astana could do a 1,2,3 with Contador, Leiphimer & Kloden.

1. Contador
2. Sastre
3. Valverde