The Vuelta a España has not one but two very tough acts to follow when it starts in Seville on Saturday evening.

This year's Tours of Italy and France were outstanding, with exciting, unpredictable racing and a plethora of memorable stages, from the muddy dirt roads of Tuscany to the cobbles of northern France.

It's diifficult to tell where this leaves the Vuelta: will the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France merely have whetted fans' appetites, or is there a danger of Grand Tour fatigue?

Ever since the Spanish tour moved from its traditional slot on the calendar this has been its problem. Until 1995 the Vuelta was held in April, when it certainly benefited from acting as curtain-raiser to Grand Tour season, with the Giro following in May, the Tour in July.

It was always going to need time to 'bed in' to its new slot, and win over the top riders, as well as the fans. But the time has surely come - after fifteen years - to ask whether the date change has been a success.

Five years ago I'd have said no. But based on more recent editions - if we overlook the fact that last year it was won by the now-banned Alejandro Valverde - and the prospects for this year's race, things are beginning to look more positive.

Before we even discuss who's riding, the imagination runs riot at the prospect of Saturday's first stage. A night-time team time trial through the streets of Seville - seriously, could there be a more mouth-watering opening to a Grand Tour?

The route looks well balanced, with a long time trial, six summit finishes, and another very interesting looking stage as early as Monday, from Marbella to Malaga, with a series of climbs, including the steep ascent through Puerto de León, before a nasty little uphill finish.

Aggressive tactics

Like most Vuelta stages this third stage is, at 157km, not overly long - a feature of the race that is popular with the riders, and which tends to encourage fast, aggressive racing.

Finally, the field. And continuing another welcome trend, it is strong and reasonably star-studded. While Denis Menchov, third at the Tour, is arguably favourite to win his third Vuelta, he will be challenged strongly by Fränk Schleck and Carlos Sastre, riding his third Grand Tour of the season.

Schleck crashed out of the Tour with a broken collarbone and his brother Andy, second at the Tour, has said he'll be riding the Vuelta in support of his elder sibling. They make a formidable duo - the question is, will Fränk be able to stay with Andy in the mountains?

Mark Cavendish and Tyler Farrar are also riding, meaning that the sprint stages could be even more competitive than at the Tour, where Cavendish won five and Farrar - perhaps the only rider who could challenge the British sprinter on his day - was forced out with a broken wrist.

But the Vuelta has also become a testing ground for young talent. Among those dipping their toes in the water this year, Tejay Van Garderen, the exciting young American, has been selected for Cavendish's HTC-Columbia team, Frenchman Arthur Vichot rides for Francaise des Jeux, and Britain's Peter Kennaugh will ride his first Grand Tour for Team Sky.

All the Vuelta has to do is sort out the leader's jersey, which over the years has been orange, white, white with a red stripe, yellow, gold and now red.

There is no such confusion at the Tour and Giro, and it's perhaps no coincidence that the leaders' yellow and pink jerseys have achieved iconic status in the other two Grand Tours. As such, the maillot jaune and maglia rosa enhance the prestige of the respective events.

So on the eve of the Vuelta's 75th birthday I'll finish with a plea: gold was good, but if it has to be red, please stick with it for at least the next 75 years.