in progress (Image credit: Unipublic). From the 14th of August to the 5th of September. (All pictures and articles, copyright © by the author, we use, are for editorial and non-commercial usages only)
Stage 21 – Sun 5Sep – Padrón to Santiago de Compostela (33.8km, ITT) elevation gain 698m
Roglic wins Vuelta a España for third consecutive year
Primoz Roglic has won the Vuelta a España for the third consecutive year. The leader of Team Jumbo-Visma defended his lead in the standings in the final time trial to Santiago de Compostella with flying colours. The Slovenian set the fastest time and won his fourth stage of this Vuelta. Full article @teamjumbovisma
Departure: Padrón 4.29 p.m. (Departure of the first runner) / Arrival: Santiago de Compostela approx. 8.30 p.m. (Arrival of the last runner). Although shorter, the final time trial of this rece edition is similar route to the final stage of La Vuelta 1993, which also departed from Padrón and ended at Santiago de Compostela. The first half consists of a continuous gentle climbing and after a downhill stretch another long uphill sector into Santiago through narrow roads. The other factor that could toughen up the time trial is the weather: in Galicia rain and wind are common. In short, the super-specialists should not have a particular advantage due the technical parts of the stage. The finish line of the 2021 Vuelta will be just outside the city cathedral. Weather Forecast – Partly cloudy with a max temperature of 30, little wind.
Vuelta a España 2021 route
Stage 1 – Sun 14Aug – Burgos to Catedral (7.1km, ITT) Elevation gain 103m
ROGLIC RIDES INTO RED IN BURGOS
We started Vuelta 2021 as we left it… with Primoz Roglic in the red jersey. Astana’s Alex Aranburu had spent most of a sweltering day ….. full article by KITTYFONDUE @ velovoices.com
La Vuelta 21 will kicks-off with an 7.1km time-trial take off with a prologue where differences among the favourites are expected to be minimal (no more than 10-15 seconds). Burgos will host a time trial for specialists able to handle the very technical part of the stage, after 2.5km the 3rd cat Alto del Castillo (1.2km at 7.1%). Weather Forecast – Extreme hot weather up to 37°, partly cloudy, wind WSW around 20 km/h. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 0.4, Pidcock 8, Tranik 10, Schachmann 10, Matthews 20.
Stage 2 – Sun 15Aug – Caleruega to Burgos (166.7km) Elevation gain 1124m
Jasper Philipsen edges bunch sprint to take stage two of Vuelta a España
The Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen won stage two of the Vuelta a España on Sunday by edging the bunch sprint at the end of the flat 166km stage from Caleruega to Burgos ….. Full article by Reuters @ theguardian.com
Second stage and first mass sprint expected. This linear stage with no GPM will immediately force the sprinters teams to control the stage, that after travelling south for the start will return to Burgos for the finish. 5km to the finish a short climb will offer the only opportunity to avoid a sprinter win. Weather Forecast – Sunny with some wind expected. High near 35C. Winds W or NNE at 15 to 30 km/h. Sunny. High 31C. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Demare 2, Jakobsen 2.5, Philipsen 4, Meeus 20, Dainese 20.
Stage 3 – Mon 16Aug – Santo Domingo de Silos to Picón Blanco (202.8km) elevation gain 2888m
Rein Taaramäe wins on Picón Blanco and takes the red jersey at Vuelta a España 2021
The third stage went to the break, as did the leader’s jersey, with a shake-up to the general classification. Full article cyclingweekly.com
The third stage of La Vuelta 21 offers the first first mountain-top finish, and it is the Picón Blanco. The mountain is used regularly on the Vuelta, with recent winners such as Mikel Landa, Remco Evenepoel and Miguel Ángel López. The route will be undulated from the start with a flat stretch between km 110 and km 180, where the tough 23 final km will commence. This 202.8 kilometres stage 3 is the second longest of the entire 2021 Vuelta and its initial sections through the exposed roads on the Burgos moorlands may bring the risk of strong crosswinds.
The Picón Blanco, is a demanding mountain pass, with slopes of up to 18% . The climb is 7.6km long and features average gradient of 9.3%, it starts with the first kilometre averaging 6.5%, with the hardest part in the final 5km at an average of 10%. . This stage will create the first significant gaps among the main GC favourites. Weather Forecast – Partly cloudy and much cooler than in previous days; some wind expected. High near 25C. Winds NE up to 30 km/h. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 2, A Yates 11, Carthy 13, Bernal 13, Carapaz 13, Kuss 15, Bardet 18, MA Lopez 20, Landa 20, Ciccone 20.
Stage 4 – Tue 17Aug – El Burgo de Osma to Molina de Aragón (163.9km) elevation gain 1437m
FABIO JAKOBSEN: A STORY OF STRENGTH, BRAVERY AND COURAGE
After his win in today’s stage of the Vuelta a España, it’s hard to imagine that the Dutch rider was on life support just over one year ago. Read the full article by RACHEL JARY @ Rouleur.cc and full results @ procyclingstats.com
Departure: El Burgo de Osma ore 13.38 Arrival: Molina de Aragón ore 17.20-17.45. Molina de Aragón will be the second great opportunity for sprinters in La Vuelta 21. Stage 4 features undulations along the entire route but no categorised climbs. An early breakaway is easy to imagine and although a final sprint can be expected, the sprinters teams will have to work hard, to control the race. Don’t underestimate the finish in Molina de Aragón, the road will go up in the last few kilometers and the pure sprinters have to be careful on the final ramp of about 500 metres at around 5%. A group sprint is the most logic solution, but a puncher may try to attack and all GC favourites will need to stay upfront to avoid loosing precious seconds. Weather Forecast – Sunny. Not as hot. High 28C. Winds light and variable; Bookmakers favourite quotes – Philipsen 2, Jakobsen 3, Demare 4, Matthews 6, Molano 10, Aranburu 16.
Stage 5 – Wed 18Aug – Tarancón to Albacete (184.4km) elevation gain 580m
Jasper Philipsen makes it to the line first in chaotic finale of stage five in Vuelta a España 2021
The red jersey changed hands due to a big crash in the final 10km. Full article by TIM BONVILLE-GINN @ cyclingweekly.com and full results @ procyclingstats.com
Departure: Tarancón ore 13 – Arrival: Albacete ore 17.15-17.45. The profile of this stage in entirely flat and the race heads to the south-east of Madrid. In theory all seems perfect for another day for sprinters, but wide-open plains and strong crosswinds are a traditional feature in stages ending in Albacete. If the winds kick up, well organised teams may try to attack and the sprinters plans will become complicated . It is common for the Vuelta Albacete arrivals that something happens in the central plain of Castilla-La Mancha, and in some occasion the peloton was ripped apart by the region’s exposition to crosswind (although today forecast seems to be exclude this situation). So watch out for this stage, things may be much more complicated that expected. Weather Forecast – Sunny for most of the stage but some risk of isolated thunderstorm on the final kilometres. High 33C. Winds SSE/ S up to 20 km/h; Bookmakers favourite quotes – Jakobsen 1.5, Philipsen 3, Demare 3, Molano 9, Meeus 18, Matthews 22.
Stage 6 – Thu 19Aug – Requena to Alto de la Montaña de Cullera (158,3km) elevation gain 1000m
Magnus Cort Nielsen holds chasers for dramatic win
Primož Roglič reclaimed the overall lead as overnight leader Kenny Elissonde was distanced on the final climb. Full article and results by velonews.com
Departure: Requena 1.45 p.m. – Arrival: Alto de la Montaña de Cullera 5.20 p.m.-5.45 p.m (Spain time). The final 1,900 meters of stage 6 will decide the stage winner on the Alto de la Montaña de Cullera (1.9km, 9.4%) demanding gradient.
The initial undulations of the stage will provide the ideal conditions for breakaways but after 75 km the following kilometres will be entirely flat. On this long stretch, teams will able to get organised and control the stage with little problems until final climb. The Alto demanding narrow ramps will ensure an explosive finale perfect for punchers. Weather Forecast – From mostly sunny to partly cloudy with temperature up to 30C. Winds E/SE up to 20km/h. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 2.5, Valverde 7, A Yates 9, Schachmann 17, Storer 20, Bagioli 20, Bernal 25, Ciccone 25.
Stage 7 – Fri 20Aug – Gandía to Balcón de Alicante (152km) elevation gain 3765m
Michael Storer attacks summit finish to score first WorldTour win
Primož Roglič continues to lead the GC, a scant eight seconds ahead of Felix Großschartner. Full velonews.com article here
Departure: Gandia 13:07 ; Arrival: Balcón de Alicante 17:15-17:45. We are now in the north of Alicante and with six categorised mountain passes, including two 1st Cat climbs, this will be the first mountain stage of this La Vuelta edition. A very tough day, with a relatively short and very intense stage that adds up to almost 4000 metres of elevation gain without a single kilometre of plain terrain. In rapid succession, the riders will face the 1st Cat Piero La Llacuna (9.4 km, 6.2%, max 17%), Puerto de Benilloba (3km, 3.5%), Puerto de Tudons (7.1km, 5.2%), Puerto El Collao (9.5km, 4.6%), Puerto de Tibi (5.3km, 5.3%). The final climb, the Balcón de Alicante (8.4km, 6.2%, max 14% ), is demanding and very steep.
The hardest 4 kilometres will have an average gradient of 9.5% and several stretch in double digit. Today, a serious “skimming” of the GC favourites will be unavoidable. Weather Forecast – Sunny with temperature up to 30C. Winds E/ESE up to 20km/h. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 5, Storer 15, Kuss 20, Schachmann 20, Martin 23, Bagioli 27, Kron 25, Mas 25, Yates 28, Bernal 28, MA Lopez 28.
Stage 8 – Sat 21Aug – Santa Pola to La Manga del mar Menor (173.7km) elevation gain 953m
Fabio Jakobsen claims second stage win of week, one year after coma
Fabio Jakobsen’s impressive return from serious injury continued with victory on stage eight of the Vuelta a Espana. Full article @ BBC.co.uk
Fourth sprint arrival expected in the first week of La Vuelta 21. It is a very windy area, which may complicate the peloton plans. The day will favour sprinters and their teams will control the race to assure a mass sprint in the arrival in the tourist resort of La Manga. Weather Forecast – Partially cloudy with temperatures up to 30C. Winds light and variable from ENE up 18 km/h; Bookmakers favourite quotes – Jakobsen 1.5, Philipsen 2, Demare 4, Molano 12, Dainese 17, Matthews 25, Trentin 25.
Stage 9 – Sun 22Aug – Puerto Lumbreras to Alto de Velefique (188km) elevation gain 4658m
DAMIANO CARUSO VICTORIOUS ON STAGE 9 OF LA VUELTA
Damiano Caruso took an epic win on Stage 9 of La Vuelta going solo from the breakaway, securing his second Grand Tour stage win this season. Full article @ TeamBahrainVictorious
MAGNIFICENT CARUSO SOLOS TO STAGE GLORY AS AN EFFORTLESS ROGLIC TIGHTENS HIS GRIP ON RED. The Vuelta a Espana hit the Hors Categorie peaks and delivered a sizzling stage 9. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious) reminded cycling fans that his Giro exploits were NO FLUKE. Full article by Midge @ velovoices.com and full results @ procyclingstats
We are in the southern Spain, among the sierras and semi-desert land of Almería and today, for many, the peloton will face the hardest stage of the 2021 Vuelta. Nearly 190 km with an elevation gain of around 4500m, with 4 GPM: Alto de Cuatro Ventos (10.5km, 3.8%), Alto Collado Venta Luisa (29km, 4.4km, max 15%), Alto de Castro de Filabres (7.1km, 3.9%) and Velefique (13.2km, 6.4%, max 15%), all of them concentrated in the last 110 km of the stage. The 1st Cat Collado Venta Luisa, officially is a 29 km ascent but the road will start to go up immediately after the 2 Cat of Alto de Cuatro Ventos for nearly 40 km.
All on exposed roads running through some of the emptiest and bleakest drylands of Spain’s interior (the area is famous for filming Sergio Leone’ spaghetti westerns in the 1960s, starring also Clint Eastwood) and in temperatures which in Andalusia in summer can easily max out at well over 40 degrees. After the Collado Venta Luisa a descent will take, straight afterwards, to the 3rd Cat Alto de Castro de Filabres, and then, after another long descent onto the first ramps of the final climb of the Alto de Velefique. The Special Cat Alto de Velefique is both long and steep at 13.2km and 6.4% on average, with the hardest part on the first five kilometres, with the fourth kilometre averaging 11.7%.
The climb eases in the the final kilometre with an avg of 4.3%. In addition, watch out for the always risky strong winds in that area on exposed roads. Weather Forecast – Mostly cloudy and temperature up to 32C. Winds from E up to 15 km/h. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 2, A Yates 6, Bardet 12, Padun 14, Storer 16, Mader 16, MA Lopez 18, Mas 20, Bernal 20, Carapaz 30, Landa 30, Ciccone 40.
Restday Mon 23Aug
Stage 10 – Tue 24Aug – Roquetas de Mar to Rincón de la Victoria (189km) elevation gain 2304m
Michael Storer doubles up as Primož Roglič’s attack came unstuck with crash on descent on stage 10 of Vuelta a España
Yet another new overall leader is greeted by the race thanks to a huge break getting a sack full of time. Full article by TIM BONVILLE-GINN @ cyclingweekly and full results @ procyclingstats
Departure: 12.15 – Arrival 17.15-17.45 (Spain Time). An early breakaway will be stimulated by the parcours, with the flat first 160km of this stage along the Costa del Sol. However after this point, the route turns inland for the Cat. 2 Puerto de Almáchar (10.6km, 5%).
The Almáchar is easy in the fast part but its final 5 km have demanding gradients with several double-digit stretches and an average gradient close to 9%. The summit is located 16 km before the end of the stage and an attacher will be favourite by the descend that will take riders to the finish-line at Rincón de la Victoria. Weather Forecast – Partly cloudy with temperature up to 30C. Apart from the final climb, the stage could prove to be much more difficult than expected due to the wind, especially in the first part of the stage, that is forecasted to blow sideways (apparently gusts of up to 30km/h). Bookmakers favourite quotes – Matthews 10, Magnus Cort Nielsen 12, Roglic 14, Bagioli 20, Aranburu 22, Fraile 23, Narvaez 24, Kron 25, Storer 26, Schachmann 28.
Stage 11 -Wed 25Aug – Antequera to Valdepeñas de Jaén (133.6km) elevation gain 2698m
A STAGE ROGLIFICATION; ODD KEEPS RED
It was a short, sharp, hotter-than-hot stage 11 of the 2021 Vuelta a Espana with pretty much all of the action happening in the last 2km. EF’s Magnus Cort valiantly tried to take his second stage as the last of the breakaway had a handful of seconds on the rampaging favourites under the flamme rouge. Full article by KittyFondue @ velovoices and full results @ procyclingstats
Departure: Antequera 13.57 Arrival: Valdepeñas de Jaén 17.20-17.40. The short stage 11, 133.6 kilometers through the provinces of Málaga, Córdoba and Jaén, with take the riders to Valdepeñas de Jaén, after a succession of demanding hills and the Cat. 2 Puerto de Locubin (8.8km, 5%) which starts 17 km from the finish line. After a short descent the road will go up again for the very tough arrival in Valdepeñas de Jaén. The narrow streets of the final kilometre will have stretches up to 25% that will ease only in the last 300 metres. Weather Forecast – Mostly sunny temperature up to 29C. Winds SSE up to 20 km/h. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 4, Kron 12, Matthews 16, Pidcock 20, Carapaz 20, Bagioli 22.
Stage 12 – Thu 26Aug – Jaén to Córdoba (175km) elevation gain 2054m
Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF-Nippo) had a moment of grace and after winning the sixth stage and coming close yesterday, he won the 12th stage of the Vuelta a España 2021 in a narrow sprint in front of Andrea Bagioli.
Departure: Jaén 12.56; Arrival: Córdoba 17.15-17.45. This hilly stage has a first half part undulated but without any major difficulties and will be followed by a second half with two GPM, Cat. 3 Alto de San Jeronimo (13km, 3.3%) with 44km to go and Alto del 14% (7.2km, 5.6%, max 14%) 26 km from the finish line in Córdoba. Both ascent are concentrated around Cordoba, where two hilly loops await the peloton: one of 26 km, the other 44. The final 19 km are all downhill or on flat roads, giving the chance to some team’ sprinters to regroup. Breakaway or brunch sprint, this stage is open to many possible solutions. Weather Forecast – Sunny and with raising temperatures, expect highest around 37C. Little winds from SW in the finale. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Matthews 8, Trentin 14, Cort Nielsen 14, Kron 16, Bagioli 17, Bardet 19, Storer 20, Roglic 21.
Stage 13 – Fri 27Aug – Belmez to Villanueva de la Serena (203.7km) elevation gain 1654m
SENECHAL SAVES THE DAY FOR QUICK STEP
Stage 13, the longest of this year’s Vuelta, came down to a messy, chaotic sprint and a beautiful win by Deceuninck QuickStep’s Florian Senechal. Full article by Midge @ velovoices
Departure: Belmez 12.18 pm Arrival: Villanueva de la Serena 5.15 p.m.-5.45 p.m. Stage 13 is the penultimate remaining flat stages of the 2021 Vuelta. In this entirely 203.7 km completely flat stage and with the heat of Extremadura, the few teams will still have a sprinters and they will work hard to maximise one of their very last opportunity and to control any breakaway to ensure a field sprint in Villanueva de la Serens. The final kilometres are punctuated by numerous roundabouts, the last of which is 500 metres from the finish. This, coupled with the fact that the final straight is slightly uphill at around 2%, means that it will be important to choose the right moment to start sprint. Weather Forecast – Sunny with some wind in the first part of the stage. High 35C. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Jakobsen 1, Demare 4, , Dainese 5, Meeus 14, Matthews 20, Modolo 20, Trentin 30.
Stage 14 – Sat 28Aug – Don Benito to Pico Villuercas (165.7km) elevation gain 3453m
Romain Bardet of Team DSM climbs to stage 13 victory at Vuelta a España
Team DSM’s Romain Bardet won stage 14 of the Vuelta a España atop Pico Villuercas with a commanding performance, enjoying a cathartic victory after a crash on stage three which put him out of contention in the general classification. By The Guardian and for full results procyclingstats
Departure: Don Benito 12.50 p.m.; Arrival: Pico Villuercas 5.15 p.m.-5.50 p.m. (Spain Time). Stage 14 is a tough mountain stage with its 3,200 meters of elevation gain, 2 Cat 1 GPM and most climbing concentrated in the final 80 km. The first half of the stage will be flat, but the second will be very tough, with two climbs and the finish on the Pico Villuercas. The first difficulties will be met after around 80 km from the start with the GPM of Puerto Ballesteros (7.7km, 5.2%) and from there without any descent between, riders will face the 1st Cat Alto Collado de Ballesteros (2.8km, 14% max 20%) with 3 km of concrete road and a gradient of 15% and peaks of 20%. From the Collado to the final ascent, riders will find narrow and technical roads, and a possible previous attack will be difficult to be chased.
The uphill finish, from Guadalupe to the finish-line of Pico Villuercas (14.5km 6.2% max 15%), is 14 km long and although without excessive gradients will certainly produce a significant selection. This stage is perfect for those who wants to revolutionise the GC. Weather Forecast – Mostly sunny with some wind mainly WSW up to 20km/h. Temperature up to 32C. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 4, Storer 8, Caruso 8, Mas 10, Bardet 10, MA Lopez 18, Padun 18.
Stage 15 – Sun 29Aug – Navalmoral de la Mata to El Barraco (197.5km) elevation gain 3768m
MAJKA TAKES A LONG SOLO VICTORY; EIKING STAYS IN RED
Stage 15 of Vuelta 2021. It was a long stage (197.5km). Rafal Majka (UAE) rode 87km all by himself to take his first win in four years. Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo) and Chris Hamilton(DSM) came in second and third respectively. Intermarché-Wanty rode on the front of the peloton. Odd Christian Eikingstays in red. GC top 10 changes not. Rest day tomorrow. By KittyFondue @ velovoices. Full results procyclingstats
Departure: Navalmoral de la Mata 11.35 a.m.; Arrival: El Barraco 5.10 p.m.-5.55 p.m. – A classic long medium-mountain stage with four mountains passes, two of which Cat 1 climbs. None of today climbs has prohibitive gradients, max avg 6%, but the two Cat. 1 climbs are long measuring 15 and 20 kilometers. After 70 km, the riders will face the first climb, Alto della Centenera (15.1km avg 5.5% max 10%), then the Puerto de Pedro Bernardo (9km avg 4.2%).
The climb towards to the summit of Puerto de Mijares (1st Cat) is one of the longest climbs on the 2021 route, 20.4 km at 5.5% with a couple of harder sectors and a max of 11%. From the top of the Puerto de Mijares the finish is less than 40 km away and after a long downhill the 3rd Cat San Juan de Nava (8.6 km avg 3.8%), only 5 km from the finish-line, will further reduce the group. A solo or a reduced bunch final sprint is expected among a group of early breakaway. Finish line in Calle José María Jiménez, named after the strong climber from El Barraco, who died (suicide linked to depression) in 2003 at the age of just 32. The combination of the expected heat and the long climbing fatigue can be fatal to some of the expected GC favourites. Weather Forecast – Mostly sunny or partially cloudy with temperature up to 31C. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 9, Storer 10, Caruso 10, Kron 12, Bagioli 14, Bardet 18, Cort Nielsen 20, Vansevenant 22, Mas 22, , MA Lopez 24.
Restday Mon 30 Aug
Stage 16 – Tue 31 Aug – Laredo to Santa Cruz de Bezana (180 km) elevation gain 2123m
JAKOBSEN TAKES THE SPRINT, ODD STILL IN RED
As the Vuelta a Espana headed into its third and final week, Stage 16 was seen as one of the final opportunities for the sprinters and their teams. With Alpecin’s Jasper Philipsenleaving the race last week, the out-and-out favourite for today’s stage was current green jersey wearer, Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep). By SRICTLYISSIE @velovoices
Departure: Laredo 12.49 p.m. Arrival: Santa Cruz de Bezana 5.15pm-5.45pm. This is the last chance for sprinter of the 2021 Vuelta. This flat stage, have some undulation in the central part and this may give courage to promote a breakaway. The sprinters that have survived the previous mountain stages will ask for the final sacrifice to their team and unless major surprises the winner will be decided in a mass sprint to the finish-line despite a twisty last kilometre. Weather Forecast – Partially cloudy with some wind expected. Temperature up to 25C. Winds up to 30 km/h. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Jakobsen 4, Dainese 9, Demare 10, Cort 12, Matthews 12, Trentin 14, Meeus 30.
Stage 17 – Wed 1Sep – Unquera to Lagos de Covadonga (185.8km) elevation gain 3531m
BERNAL AND ROGLIC PUT ON A SHOW, ROGLIC TAKES RED
Stage 17 was the first of a pair of HC summit finishes in this final week of Vuelta 2021 and it absolutely was *not* a day the break was going to take the stage. By KittyFondue @velovoices and stage 17 highlights from @eurosport
Four GPM of the 17th stage, that will conclude on the classic climb of the Lagos de Covadonga. Before that, the peloton will complete two loops around a circuit including a new La Vuelta climb: la Collada Llomena (7.6km at 9.1% with a max of 14% for 2 km). The Collada Llomena could be very selective and it is followed by a tough descent.
The finale is all for the Lagos de Covadonga. The ascent averages 6.9% over 12.5km, with the hardest part between the first and seventh km (avg 9.8%), followed by an easier section with a plateau and some descent, before getting harder again. Lagos is 13 km long with two really tough sectors. The first one is after the first kilometre, with 2 km with constant gradients of around 10%. Then there’s the hardest part of the ascent, with three km with gradients of around 15% and a peak of 20% for nearly 1 km. The final three kilometres are mostly flat with a descent leading to the to the finish line. Weather Forecast – For the first time in this edition of the Vuelta, rain is expected with risk of T-storm in the final part of the race. Temperature up to 24C. Winds up to 10 km/h. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 3, Bardet 8, Caruso 10, Majka 10, Mas 12, MA Lopez 14, Bernal 14, Storer 14.
Stage 18 – Thu 2Sep – Salas to Altu d’El Gamoniteiru (159.2km) elevation gain 4,431m
Miguel Ángel López soars to stage 18 victory on monstrous Altu d’El Gamoniteiru at Vuelta a España
The Colombian was the only rider able to maintain a gap over Roglič and the other favourites. By Tim Bonville-Ginn @cyclingweekly, for full results @procyclingstats and video highlights @eurosport
Departure: Salas 12.38 p.m. Arrival: Altu d’El Gamoniteiru 5.15 p.m.-5.45 p.m. (Spain Time). A stage consisting in around 160 km, but tough and with a new climb for the Vuelta: the special category, 15 km long (with an average gradient of 9.8%), the Altu d’El Gamoniteiru. This is the Queen stage of this Vuelta and the whole route will be very demanding with the traditional Asturian ascents of Puerto de San Lorenzo (9.8 km at 8.6%, max 16%), Alto de la Cobertoria (7.9 km at 8.6%, max 14%) and Alto del Cordal (8 km at 6%), as well as the relative descents, which have marked the history of the Spanish race several times.
At the end of the Cordal descent, the route climbs seamlessly up to Cobertoria from the most challenging side to the top of the Gamoniteiro, totalling 14.6 km at 9.6% with peaks of 17%. This is a real monster which can carve out huge gaps. Overall there are around 4500 metres of elevation gain, with climbs almost always in double figures. This is a key stage which could offer a great spectacle.
The Gamoniteiro is a regular climb with a gradient constantly between 10-12%. Any rider not on top conditions on a climb that long, and with such tough slopes, could lose a huge amount of time. The hardest ramps are up to 17%, there are few sections of cement as well, the road is narrow and twisting, but what makes it so hard is it’s just constantly steep ……. and all of this will be take place the day after of climbing the mythical Lagos de Covadonga. Weather Forecast – Rain is expected during the route with some risk of T-storm. Temperature up to 22C. Very little wind. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 3, Bardet 9, Kuss 11, Storer 14, Caruso 14, Majka 16, MA Lopez 16, Bernal 18, Yates 19, Mas 22.
Stage 19 – Fri 3Sep – Tapia to Monforte de Lemos (191.2km) elevation gain 3413m
Magnus Cort seals Vuelta hat-trick as Roglic stays on track for overall win
Magnus Cort Nielsen won a hilly stage 19 of the Vuelta a España on Friday, while Primoz Roglic stayed out of trouble in the overall leader’s red jersey. Full article @theguardian.com and for results @procyclingstats
Departure: Tapia 12.11 p.m. / Arrival: Monforte de Lemos 5.15 p.m.-5.50 p.m. (Spain Time). Mid-mountain stage that crosses the Fonsagrada area, featuring constant climbs and descents, joining Galicia and the Principality of Asturias. There are three GPM in the first 60km of the race and the stage will be perfect for opportunities for an early breakaway. Today is also the last chance for the sprinters, but the fatigue and an elevation gain over 3000m could discourage a chase and favour the success of the expected breakaway. Watch out for two right-angle bends in the final kilometre which will make the organisation of an eventual sprint very difficult for the sprinter teams. Weather Forecast – Partly cloudy with some sunny spells towards the end stage. Temperature up to 28C. Very little wind. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Trentin 8, Magnus Cort 9, Matthews 11, Kron 14, Bagioli 18, Jakobsen 20, Pidcock 25.
Stage 20 – Sat 4Sep – Sanxenxo to Mos. Castor de Herville (202.2km) elevation gain 4.305m
CHAMPOUSSIN STEALS A STAGE STACKED WITH DRAMA
From fairly ho-hum to one of the most bonkers endings ever (on so many levels), Stage 20 of Vuelta a Espana 2021 gave fans a grand tour stage that will stick in our memories for a good long time. By KittyFondue @velovoices.com
Departure: Sanxenxo 11.47 a.m. \ Arrival: Mos-Castro de Herville 17-10-17.50 p.m. This stage promises to be very entertaining for the spectators. The first part, relatively flat, will give way to a mini “classic”. Constant climbs and descents and five short, but tough mountain passes. This stage is another glimmer of originality to emerge from the Vuelta route: instead of the usual uphill finish, which is often not enough to shake things up, a long, crisp stage has been chosen which is perfect for ambushes. It’s a stage where you can invent a lot, even in the hope that some of your rivals might have a bad day. There is almost no flat terrain and the route is both flat and demanding in terms of altitude, with a total of around 4.300 metres of elevation gain. Impossible to list all the bumps, so better to limit ourselves only to the GPM, placed on the most challenging climbs: Alto de Vilachan (6.5 km at 5.4%); Alto de Mabia (6 km at 5.7%; first 4.5 km at 7. 5%); Alto de Mougas (9.8km at 6.4%; first 5.5km at 8%; max 15%); Alto de Prado (5.5km at 6.3%; 1km stretch at 11%);
Alto Castro de Herville (9.7km at 4.8%; 2km stretch at 10%; max 16%). It’s a strange stage where it’s up to the riders to come up with something, especially those who have the last chance before the final time trial. Weather Forecast – Partly cloudy at the start then sunny. Temperature up to 26C. Very little wind. Bookmakers favourite quotes – Roglic 7, Storer 9, Bardet 12, Bernal 14, Poels 18, Pidcock 19, Caruso 20, MA Lopez 25, Mas 25.
Stage 21 – Sun 5Sep – Padrón to Santiago de Compostela (33.8km, ITT)
Although shorter, the final time trial of this rece edition is similar route to the final stage of La Vuelta 1993, which also departed from Padrón and ended at Santiago de Compostela. The first half consists of a continuous gentle climbing and after a downhill stretch another long uphill sector into Santiago through narrow roads. The other factor that could toughen up the time trial is the weather: in Galicia rain and wind are common. In short, the super-specialists should not have a particular advantage due the technical parts of the stage. The finish line of the 2021 Vuelta will be just outside the city cathedral.
‘La Vuelta de las Catedrales’ – The Spanish grand tour’s 76th edition will take off in front of the Burgos Cathedral on the 14th of August and will take place entirely within Spanish territory up until the very last stage that will conclude in the Santiago Cathedral on the 5th of September.
It is the 76th in its history: the Vuelta a Espana is about to start next Saturday from Burgos, 21 stages until 5 September, from the north to the south of the Iberian country and then north again, for a total of 3,417 kilometres. This will be a Vuelta that is a little different from recent years, with classic and innovative elements. The first 7.1 kilometres will be an urban individual time trial within the city of Burgos. The route will revolve around its cathedral, the locality’s most emblematic monument, which celebrates the 8th centenary of its construction in 2021. The two following stages will be held within the Province of Burgos, with a finale in the district of La Gamonal and another at Picón Blanco, the first unprecedented high-altitude finale of La Vuelta 21. The peloton will travel towards the peninsula’s East, with stops in the provinces of Soria, Guadalajara, Cuenca, Albacete, Valenciaand Alicante – The latter leading to the discovery of a new climb: the Balcón de Alicante. Heading further South, La Vuelta will hold a finish-line in the Region of Murcia, marking the end of the first week of competing at the renowned Alto de Velefique, in Almería. Following the first rest day, the race will resume at Roquetas de Mar and will slowly travel through the Andalusian territory. The provinces of Málaga, Jaén and Córdoba will watch the peloton ride past before returning to Extremadura for the first time since 2013. The provinces of Badajoz and Cáceres will host two departures and two finish-lines in 2021. Pico Villuercas is an extremely tough unprecedented La Vuelta climb that stands out for its spectacular nature. Just before the next rest day, Avila will mark the end of the second week with a finish-line at the historic town of El Barraco, the birthplace of some of the best Spanish cyclists in history.
The riders will recover their strength before the final stretch of the race that promises to thrill spectators. Cantabria will hold a stage entirely within the autonomous community, before giving way to the Lagos de Covadonga climb. The Principality of Asturias seeks to become the judge of La Vuelta 21, by linking the mythical climb with a stage that will face a brand-new mountain pass expected to go down in history: the Altu d’El Gamoniteiru. Galicia will resume the race with a finish-line in Monforte de Lemos and a stage held entirely within the Province of Pontevedra that will delight Classics specialists. A Coruña, not Madrid, will be the province chosen to host the final stage of La Vuelta 21. Taking into account the Jacobean year, and the fact that the 2021 edition is “La Vuelta de las Catedrales”, the organisation has prepared a final time trial with a finale inSantiago de Compostela and a departure from Padrón. This will ring a bell with 90s cycling fans as a very similar stage took place in La Vuelta 1993, which was the deciding factor behind Tony Rominger’s victory.
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