Stage 8: Villalpando → La Camperona, Valle de Sabero
181.5 km, Flat, MTF •
Stage info •
Startlist
Saturday, August 27th • Starts at
13:10 • Finish at ~
17:40 (CEST)
Route:
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Mountain passes & Hills:
Alto de La Camperona Km 181.5. 630m gain over
8.5km at 7.4%
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Final kilometers:
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One of the regular features in recent editions of the Vuelta a Espana, is the triptych of consecutive summit finishes in the Cantabria and Asturias regions. Very often the three key stages have come in succession on the penultimate weekend but this year the organizers have changed he layout a bit. In an unprecedented move, Unipublic have added an extra uphill finish to make it four big GC days in a row and this year the start in Galicia means that this key block comes earlier than usual. It all kicks off after just one week of racing when the riders return to the brutally steep climb of La Camperona which made its debut in 2014 and is one of those walls that characterize the Spanish grand tour.
At 181.5km, stage 8 is a bit longer than most of the Vuelta stages and it will bring the riders from Villalpando to the summit finish on La Camperona in Valle de Sabero. Most of the day, there will be nothing to suggest that this is a day for the GC riders. The starting city is located in a completely flat part of the country and the riders will be travelling along flat road almost all day. Having travelled in a western direction for the first 30km to, the riders will head north for the rest of day, following long, straight, flat and potentially exposed roads.
The terrain and nature of the stage won’t change until the riders get to the very end. In the city of Sabero with 8.5km to go, they will contest the intermediate sprint and this is the signal for things to change completely. The final 8.5km of the stage go up the Alto de la Camperona, a category 1 climb that averages 7.4%. However, the average gradient is deceptive. In the first 5km, there is just a very short, steep 25% section. Otherwise the gradient stays at 1-3%. However, then the nature of the climb changes completely. In the final 3.5km, it stays between 8% and 22% and almost all the time, the riders face double-digit gradients. The winding road doesn’t have many sharp turns and the final kilometre follows an almost completely straight road. Here the gradient is between 9% and 20%, with the steepest part coming just after the flamme rouge.
The first two summit finishes in the race were either short or relatively easy so this is the first big test for the GC riders. In reality, the final climb may only be 3.5km long but it is so excessively steep that it will be every man for himself. This kind of steep climb can create relatively big time differences and it will be the first true indication of who’s going to win the race. At the same time, it will be important to be attentive in the first part of the stage where the wind can create chaos even before we get to the climb. With another three summit finishes coming up, the riders may be keen to save some energy so it could be a day for a breakaway. On the other hand, the stage is relatively easy to control so the most likely scenario is that the GC riders will battle it out for the stage win.
The climb made its debut in 2014 when Ryder Hesjedal emerged as the strongest from a big breakaway, passing Oliver Zaugg with a great comeback inside the final kilometre. Further down the climb, the GC riders battled it out and it was Chris Froome who made a bit of a comeback after a bad start to the race. The Brit was the best of the overall contenders, putting one second into Joaquim Rodriguez and seven seconds into overall leader Alberto Contador. The GC group split to pieces, with just five riders finishing within a minute of Froome.
Stage 9: Cistierna → Oviedo, Alto del Naranco
164.5 km, Medium Mountains, MTF •
Stage info •
Startlist
Sunday, August 28th • Starts at
13:30 • Finish at ~
17:40 (CEST)
Route:
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Mountain passes & Hills:
Puerto de San Isidro Km 60. 330m gain over
11km at 3%
Alto de Santo Emiliano Km 117.2. 295m gain over
6.2km at 4.7%
Alto de San Tirso Km 135.1. 200m gain over
5.1km at 3.9%
Alto de la Manzaneda Km 152. 250m gain over
3.6km at 6.9%
Alto del Naranco Km 164.5. 350m gain over
5.7km at 6.1%
Alto de la Manzaneda - Unofficial profile, general reference only
Alto del Naranco - Unofficial profile, general reference only
Final kilometers:
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After the first tough GC battle, there will be no room to recover as the series of four consecutive summit finishes continues with another very hard day. On stage 9, the riders will return to the famous Alto del Naranco in the Asturias region, a climb which has been the finish of its own classic in the past and is an iconic mountain in Spain. It may not be the hardest climb of the race but history shows that it shouldn’t be underestimated and that it’s a day where important time can be gained.
The 164.5km stage will bring the riders from Cistierna to the top of Alto del Naranco on the outskirts of Oviedo and it can be split into two parts. The Cistierna is located on the flat plateau in the interior of the country where the riders spent the previous stage. Hence, the first third of the stage is mainly flat but the riders will have a tough start as the first 5km are all uphill. All day, the riders will travel in a northwestern direction, approaching the Asturian mountains just south of the coast.
The flat roads will come to an end at the 49km mark where the riders will hit the bottom of the category 2 Puerto de San Isidro (11km, 3%). From there, the riders will tackle the long descent that leads them down from the plateau and into the mountainous Asturian terrain near the coast. The descent ends when the riders hit the bottom of the category 3 Alto de Santo Emiliano (6.2km, 4.7%) at the 111km mark and from there, it is up or down almost all day. After the intermediate sprint at the 124.6km mark, it is time for the category 3 Alto de San Tirso (5.1km, 3.9%), an uncategorized climb and the category 3 Alto de la Manzaneda (3.5km, 6.9%) which come in quick succession.
The top of the latter challenge comes with 12.5km to go and then a short descent leads to the bottom of the final category 2 climb. Alto del Naranco averages 6.1% over 5.7km and is a fairly regular climb. The gradient stays between 5% and 7% almost all the time, with the final kilometre averaging 6%. It’s a winding road with a few hairpin turns. Inside, the final kilometre, there are four sharp turns, the final one coming just 290m from the line.
Alto del Naranco is an iconic climb in Spain and it’s another chance for the GC riders to test each other. However, it is the easiest of the four consecutive summit finishes and this means that the GC riders may be keen to hold something back, especially with another two days coming up. This makes it very likely that a breakaway will ride away with the win while the GC riders will test each other slightly. The climb has been used once in recent years and it has bigger gaps than expected. This time it comes at a different point in the race so it may be a bit less selective but we could still get a few more indications about who’s going to win the race. If the GC riders end up deciding the stage, it is a climb more for fast riders like Alejandro Valverde than the great climbers like Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana.
Alto del Naranco was last used by the Vuelta a Espana in 2013 when Joaquim Rodriguez made his classic acceleration in the finale to take a solo win, arriving with an 11-second advantage over Diego ulissi, Daniel Moreno and Samuel Sanchez. Surprisingly, race leader Vincenzo Nibali suffered and he lost six seconds to rival Chris Horner who took over the race lead before going on to defend his position on the Angliru one day later. The ascent has hosted the finish of the one-day race Subida al Naranco which has come into financial difficulties and hasn't been run since 2010, with Santiago Perez being the most recent winner. Instead, the climb was a regular in the Vuelta a Asturias from 2011 to 2013 and Constantino Zaballa, Remy Di Gregorio and Javier Moreno all triumphed there.
Stage 10: Lugones → Lagos de Covadonga
188.7 km, High Mountains, MTF •
Stage info •
Startlist
Monday, August 29th • Starts at
12:35 • Finish at ~
17:40 (CEST)
Route:
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Mountain passes & Hills:
Alto del Mirador del Fito Km 148.2. 485m gain over
6.2km at 7.8%
Lagos de Covadonga Km 188.7. 890m gain over
12.2km at 7.2%
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After two tough summit finishes, the four-stage series of key stages will continue with another legendary stage. In recent years, the climb to Lagos de Covadonga has developed a reputation as maybe the most iconic mountain of the race as it is one of the few summit finishes that regularly features in the race. After a one-year absence, it will make a welcome return in the 2016 edition where it will be the scene of another big battle between the overall contenders. Coming at the end of a 10-stage block without any rest days and as the consecutive uphill finish, the mountain will definitely take its toll and give a much clearer picture about who’s going to win the race.
At 188.7km, the stage between Lugones and Lagos de Covadonga is one of the longest of the race and it follows the classic formula of a stage that finishes at the top of the legendary mountain. During the first 31.1km, the riders will finalize their journey to the northern coast of the Iberian peninsula as they follow mainly descending roads to the city of Gijon. From here, they will follow the coastal road in a western direction for most of the day. It is definitely not flat as there are several small climbs along the way.
After 142km of racing, the rides will head inland to tackle the category 1 climb of Alto del Mirador del Fito which averages 7.8% over 6.2km. The average gradient is deceptive as the first kilometre is very easy. From there, the gradient stays around 11% for most of the time until it level out for the final kilometre.
The top comes with 40.5km to go and from here, the riders will descend back to the coast before they again turn inland along flat roads. The intermediate sprint comes with 21.7km to go and moments later, the riders will hit the final HC climb. Lagos de Covadonga averages 7.2% over 12.2km but as it was the case for the previous climb, the numbers are deceptive. During the first 7km, the gradient is between 9% and 13% for most of the time. However, the climb then gets a bit easier and the final 5km consist of a combination of two descents and some steep ramps. The final ramp ends with around 2km to go and then it’s slightly uphill until the riders get to a descent just before the flamme rouge. It ends with 300m to go where the riders will hit the final steep ramp that leads to the finish. It’s a winding road for the final 500m, with a final sharp turn coming 200m from the line.
Lagos de Covadonga is an iconic climb in Spain and everybody would love to win here. However, history shows that it has often been a day for a breakaway and due to its position in the middle of a tough block of mountaintop finishes, it could very well be the case again this time. In any case, we should have a battle between the GC riders in the finale but in recent years, the gaps have been relatively small. The final 5km are easy so the difference has to be made a bit earlier and this has often made it less selective. On the other hand, it’s a climb tailor-made for Chris Froome as he can get a gap in the steep section and then use his bigger power on the flatter sections near the top to increase his advantage. With a rest day coming up, the riders may be a little less conservative so we could see bigger time gaps than we have done in recent editons.
Lagos de Covadonga was last visited in 2014 when Przemyslaw Niemiec emerged as the strongest from a breakaway. The Pole just held off the GC riders as he arrived with a 5-second advantage over Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez. Race leader Alberto Contador lost another five seconds while Chris Froome recovered from a bad start to limit his losses to Contador to just 7 seconds. In 2012 Antonio Piedra won from a breakaway while Alberto Contador made repeated attempts to distance Joaquim Rodriguez but failed to do so. In 2010 Carlos Barredo won from a breakaway while Vincenzo Nibali lost a bit of ground to key rival Ezequiel Mosquera in the finale. In 2007, the stage was the first big mountain stage of the race and it was Vladimir Efimkin who was a surprise survivor from a long breakaway and took both the stage win and the leader’s jersey. The other three winners in this millennium are Eladio Jimenez, Juan Miguel Mercado and Andrei Zintchenko who won in 2005, 2001 and 2000 respectively.
Rest Day 1
Tuesday, August 30th
Stage 11: Colunga, Museo Jurásico → Peña Cabarga
168.6 km, Flat, MTF •
Stage info •
Startlist
Wednesday, August 31st • Starts at
13:20 • Finish at ~
17:40 (CEST)
Route:
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Mountain passes & Hills:
Peña Cabarga Km 168.6. 550m gain over
5.6km at 9.8%
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Final kilometers:
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The series of four summit finishes in Asturias and Cantabria will be brought to an end with one of the new climbs that has already turned into a classic. The wall of Peña Cabarga was first used in 2010 and since then it has already been used another two times. As the scene of Chris Froome’s first grand tour stage win, the climb is dear to the Brit’s heart and he would love to take a second win here before the GC riders head into survival mode for a few days.
The 168.6km stage starts in the coastal city of Colunga where the rides will take off from Museo Jurasico. From here, they will follow the coastal road almost all day, travelling in a western direction. This means that it’s a pretty flat stage and apart from the small climbs that always characterize such a stretch, there aren’t any many challenges.
After 121.7km of racing, the riders will contest the intermediate sprint and then they will briefly head inland before they return to the coast for the final time. It won’t change the flat terrain though and as the riders again leave the coast, the roads will still be flat.
It all comes to a very abrupt end in the finale when the riders hit the bottom of the category 1 climb of Pena Cabarga. It averages 9.8% over 5.6km but in reality it is much steeper. The gradient doesn't really drop below the 10% mark during 3km and the climb even kicks off at 18%. Then there is a flat section of 500m before the riders get to the final ramp. In the final 2km, the riders will constantly face double-digit gradients, with the final kilometre staying at around 10% for most of the time. The first part of the climb follows a relatively straight road but in the final 2km, there are some hairpin bends and some sharp turns. The final sharp turn comes with 800m to go and then the road gradually bends to the left in the final 300m.
Peña Cabarga is a relatively short climb but it is very steep. It’s one of those walls that really characterize the Vuelta and it has produced some great and memorable racing in the past. As it comes one day after a rest day, it can create some surprises compared to what we have seen in the first three summit finishes and as it comes at the end of the block of mountaintop finishes, the riders may be riding a bit more aggressively than they did in the beginning. We are still early in the race so it could be a day for a breakaway but it’s also a stage that means a lot to Chris Froome. If he is feeling good, the Brit will probably go for the stage win, especially due to the relatively flat nature of the course which shouldn’t be that hard to control.
Stage 12: Los Corrales de Buelna → Bilbao
193.2 km, Medium Mountains •
Stage info •
Startlist
Thursday, September 1st • Starts at
12:50 • Finish at ~
17:40 (CEST)
Route:
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Mountain passes & Hills:
Puerto de Las Alisas Km 49. 600m gain over
10km at 6%
Alto La Escrita Km 89.4. 290m gain over
6.4km at 4.5%
Alto El Vivero Km 151. 360m gain over
4.2km at 8.5%
Alto El Vivero Km 180.3. 360m gain over
4.2 km at 8.5%
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Alto La Escrita - Unofficial profile, general reference only
Alto El Vivero - Unofficial profile, general reference only
Final kilometers:
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The Basque Country is the most cycling-mad region in Spain but unfortunately the political chaos surrounding the region’s status means that it has had a tainted relationship with Vuelta a Espana. The strong independency movement doesn’t want to be associated with a Spanish national tour and due to the fear of political protests, the race didn’t visit the region for 33 years until it finally returned in 2011. After a very popular home win in Bilbao for local hero Igor Anton, the race again visited the region in 2012 and this year it is time to return after a three-year absence when the race again reaches Bilbao for a lumpy stage on the 12th day of racing.
The 193.2km stage is one of the longest of the race and will bring the riders from Los Corrales de Buelna to Bilbao. Almost all day, the riders will be travelling in an eastern direction close to the coast but they will stay sufficiently far from the coast to pass through the hard terrain that has made the Basque Country famous in most of the cycling world. The first 4km are all uphill and then the riders will descend to a flat a section before they get to the hardest climb of the stage. The category 1 Puerto de Las Alisas averages 6% over 10km and is a regular climb that has a maximum of 8.5%. Then the riders will descend to another flat stretch that leads to the category 3 Alto La Escrita (6.4km, 4.5%). From there, the peloton will descend and follow flat roads to the coast and then head to the finish in Bilbao.
The riders will reach Bilbao with 59.8km to go and then the rest of the stage is made up of two laps of a 28.5km circuit on the southeastern outskirts of the city. A flat section leads to the category 2 Alto El Vivero (4.2km, 8.5%) whose top comes with 12.9km to go. From there the rides will descend to the final 5km which are flat. The riders will follow a slightly winding road with some sweeping turns for the final 5km until they turn right in a roundabout with 650m to go. They will contest the first intermediate sprint at the finish line at the end of the first lap.
It’s the same circuit that was used when the race last visited Bilbao in 2011. Back then, Igor Anton and Marzio Bruseghin battled it out in a memorable battle on the Alto del Vivero, with the Basque coming out on top. The GC riders attacked each other on the climb as Chris Froome tried to unseat Juan Jose Cobo but the favourites arrived together 1.33 behind the leader. Bilbao last hosted a major bike race in 2015 when Michael Matthews won a reduced bunch sprint on the first stage of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco after a very controversial and dramatic finale. A big crash almost ended the careers of Peter Stetina and Sergio Pardilla when they rode straight into some metal poles. Before then, it was used for a stage in the 2000 Euskal Bizikleta where Marco Serpellini beat Jose Vicente Garcia Acosta in a two-rider sprint.
Alto el Vivero is a hard climb but it comes too far from the finish for the GC riders to give it a go. They will be keen to have an easy day after four summit finishes so it should be a day for a breakaway. Everybody knows that so it will be a brutal fight until the right group has formed and then the best climbers from the escape will probably battle it out on the tough climb.
Stage 13: Bilbao → Urdax-Dantxarinea
213.4 km, Medium Mountains •
Stage info •
Startlist
Friday, September 2nd • Starts at
12:05 • Finish at ~
17:40 (CEST)
Route:
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Mountain passes & Hills:
Alto Monte Igueldo Km 99. 330m gain over
5.3km at 6.2%
Alto de Aritxulegi Km 130.5. 405m gain over
6.2km at 6.5%
Alto de Agiña Km 139. 310m gain over
5km at 6.2%
Puerto de Lizaieta Km 163.2. 345m gain over
7.2km at 4.7%
Alto de Aritxulegi - Unofficial profile, general reference only
Alto de Agiña - Unofficial profile, general reference only
Puerto de Lizaieta - Unofficial profile, general reference only
Final kilometers:
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One of the characteristics of recent Vuelta a Espana is that the stages generally have been relatively short. This is also the case in 2016 as only two stages have a length of more than 200km. The longest stage comes in stage 13 where the riders will cover 213.4km on a course full of ups and downs. However, there aren’t any long, tough climbs and this turns it into a classical transitional stage that is open to a lot of possible outcomes.
The 213.4km stage will start in the city of Bilbao and finish in Urdax-Dantxarinea close to the French-Spanish border. All day the riders will be travelling in an eastern direction as they continue their journey to the Pyrenees where the next big GC battles will be held. The first 93.7km of the stage are not completely flat but they are as flat as they can possibly be in the Basque Country. Along the way, the riders will pass the famous city of Eibar, known as the host of the queen stage of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco. However, there will be no chance to climb the Alto de Arrate and instead the riders will follow the largely flat roads until they get to the bottom of the category 3 Alto Monte Igueldo (5.3km, 6.2%).
After the descent, the riders will contest the intermediate sprint at the 110km mark and then they get to the hardest part of the course where three category 3 climbs come in quick succession. First up is the Alto de Aritxulegi (6.2km, 6.5%) and then it’s time for the Alto de Agiña (5km, 6.2%). The climbing ends with the Puerto de Lizaieta (7.2km, 4.7%) whose top comes with 50.2km to go.
As they crest the summit, the riders will head into France before they return to Spain at the bottom of the descent to reach the finish after 181.7km of racing. The stage will end with one lap of a 31.7km circuit that is partly on French soil but they will only pass close by the finish line before they embark on the lap. It’s a lumpy one but there aren’t any real climbs. The final 5km are mainly slightly descending until the riders take a sharp turn with 380m to go. Then it’s uphill at 1.5%-2% and the riders will go through a roundabout just 240m from the line.
This is the kind of stage that can be won both by a breakaway and in a sprint. Many riders will be keen to go on the attack and much will depend on the size of the group that ultimately goes clear. If it’s a strong group, they are likely to make it to the finish but the sprint teams may also manage to bring things back together for a reduced bunch sprint. However, the climbs in the middle section are pretty tough so it’s definitely not a day for the pure sprinters who may be left behind before we even get to the finish where the late turn will make things very tricky if a big group has to decide the stage..
Urdax-Dantxarinea has not hosted the finish of a major bike race for more than a decade.
Stage 14: Urdax-Dantxarinea → Aubisque - Gourette
196 km, High Mountains, MTF •
Stage info •
Startlist
Saturday, September 3rd • Starts at
12:05 • Finish at ~
17:40 (CEST)
Route:
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Mountain passes & Hills:
Col Inharpu Km 62.9. 825m gain over
11.5km at 7.1%
Col du Soudet Km 111.8. 1260m gain over
24km at 5.2%
Col de Marie-Blanque Km 157.7. 695m gain over
9.2km at 7.5%
Col d'Aubisque Km 196. 1180m gain over
16.5km at 7.1%
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Final kilometers:
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The Vuelta a Espana organizers have introduced a tradition that sees them host three consecutive mountain stages in the penultimate weekend of the race, very often in the Asturian mountains. This year they have changed the scripted slightly as they have moved the big block of consecutive mountain finishes to the second weekend but the penultimate weekend will still be a key part of the fight for the overall win. This year the riders will only have two summit finishes in a row but with two major mountaintop finales in the Pyrenees, it may still be the most important part of the race. It all kicks off with one of the most spectacular stages of the race as the riders will face a finish on the legendary Col d’Aubisque after having passed some of the most famous climbs known from the Tour de France.
Stage 14 will see the riders cover 196km from Urdax-Dantxarinea to the top of the Col d’Aubisque and is held exclusively on French soil. The riders will cross the border already in the neutral zone and then follow flat roads for the first 51.km as they travel in a mainly southeastern direction during the stage. Slowly, they will approach the heart of the Pyrenees and the mountain range will welcome them with the category 1 Col Inharpu (11.5km, 7.1%). It may not be the most famous climb but it’a tough one with double-digit gradient for most of the time in the first half. Near the top, there’s a small flat section before the road ramps up for the final 2.5km.
After the climb, the riders will descend to the bottom of category 1 Col du Soudet which is known from the Tour de France. It averages 5.2% over 24km but the first half is easy at around 3-5% before it gets much steeper. There’s a tough section of double-digit gradients just after the midpoint and again in the finale. After the descent, there is a short valley section and then the riders will face the famous category 1 Col de Marie-Blanque (9.2km, 7.5%). It has a relatively easy start at 4-5% for the first 4km but then become very steep, with double-digit gradient for the final 3km.
The top comes with 38.3km to go and the final part is made up of a descent, a short valley section of around 10km and the final climb. Having contested the intermediate sprint at the 177.8km mark, the riders will hit the famous Col d’Aubisque which is of the HC category. The average gradient of the 16.5km is 7.1% but the final 9km are relatively regular at 8-9%. It’s a winding road with a few hairpin bends, most notably in the final half. The final hairpin bend comes with around 500m to go and the gradient is around 8.5% in the final kilometre.
This is probably the queen stage of the race as it’s the only stage with numerous big climbs throughout the entire day. The terrain is legendary and everybody will love to win on one of the mythical climbs of the sport. However, there is another very hard mountain stage coming up the next day so it is very likely that a breakaway will decide the win. In any case, we will have a big battle between the favourites on the final climb which is maybe the hardest finishing climb of the entire race. It’s a day to create big differences and in the end we will know a lot more about who’s going to win the race.
The Col d’Aubisque was last used as the finish of a major bike race in 2007 when Michael Rasmussen, Levi Leipheimer and Alberto Contador battled it out for glory at the Tour de France. The Dane ultimately dropped the Discovery Channel pair to all but confirm his overall victory. Just a few hours later, Rabobank withdrew him from the race. The climb was also used for a stage in the 2000 Criterium International where Leonardo Piepoli beat Alexandre Vinokourov.
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