Recent content by Descender

Unironically one of the best routes of recent times. It has many flaws, of course. But compared with last year's abomination, I was pleasantly surprised. There are a couple of true, decently drawn mountain stages. Andorra is fine as it is for Stage 4, the descent after sterrato in Castellón...

San Lorenzo too, the hardest of all and the best-placed one.

In modern times. which for the Vuelta I consider post-2009 which marked a step ahead in terms of route design, this might really be the weakest Vuelta in terms of mountain passes. Might be the weakest Vuelta route overall since then.

I have neither the time nor the heart to do this, but take just two stages: In the Morredero stage, instead of just ________/, do this in reverse (finish is 2025's start, stage finishes in km 47): Or this (finish at km 150ish): By God, you have a proper alpine HC right next to the start...

I know I am prone to fatalism and hyperbole when it comes to Vuelta routes, but this is simply the worst route in recent decades especially taking into account the potential it had without even changing any start and finish. They literally went out of their way to make bad stages. The climbs...

IIRC you could extend the loop 3-4km by doing mindless loops around the ski resort area.

Yeah this would be a great stage, though the loop before the final climb is a bit risky/short.

I know, I was being sarcastic. It made the stage more interesting, entertaining, and eventful, as is almost always the case.

Yeah I agree, and also just get rid of the pesky climbs in between, it just makes the riders tired. Just go _______/, as is tradition. While they're at it, they could have just started in Granada and we could've watched the entire 50km stage!

Exactly.

When has there been a descent finish after Purche + Hazallanas before? It's been MTF like in 2022 with Purche + Hazallanas/all the way to Sierra Nevada or the other way around, like in 2017 with Hazallanas + Purche/all the way to Sierra Nevada.

Couldn't watch the stage but I guess nothing important happened in the descents and the stage would've been as entertaining if it'd finished on top Sierra Nevada.

It's a great stage, and it could have been even better if they'd added Haza de Lino at the beginning... it's right there for the taking.

I was wondering where they took the 54km from, descending from half the way up... being the Vuelta, I expected them to take a stroll around western Granada, much like they like to do in the Cordoba stages. Looking at the profile in detail, I'm still not sure where they descend the last time...

Normally I'd be more skeptical/critical of Tornos before Picón Blanco, but I think people are underrating the effect of Estacas-Braguía-Caracol-Lunada-La Sía before them, especially in stage 20.