2020 Vuelta rumors

[alexcta]

The Ancares rumour is around every year. Two years a go it was a fake rumour spread by a forum troll. Last year it was allegedly dropped because it didn't fit in the route with the two mountain stages in Asturias. So I won't believe it until I see it in the news.



We already know the finish in Lekunberri after S.Miguel de Aralar. That's the climb where Aru took his first Vuelta stage win in 2014 ahead of the three amigos and Froome, who did a superb (IIRC his first) yo-yo show.
And there's also the rumour that Unipublic has taken positive notes of how well the last two mountain stages this year did work.

I'm the forum troll that said that and it wasn't a fake, it was a mistake.

 

[alexcta]

More things about Vuelta 2020's route.

Stage 16 : Muros-Ezaro ITT (33'5 km)
Stage 17 : Lugo - Ourense

 

[Tonton]

While everyone is watching the Giro presentation...

After the opening Dutch stages the Vuelta will resume with two days in the Basque Country. I see contradicting reports. Two Basque local news sites report that stage 4 will be between Irún and Arrate (probably similar finish to the Itzulia stage of this year) and stage 5 between Vitoria and Valdegovía.
No source mentions it but Valdegovía is 18km from the summit of Orduña (8km @ 7.5%), one of the classic Vuelta climbs from the '50s-'70s era when the race was organised by a Basque newspaper.
Then, As.com announces stage 4 at Arrate and stage 5 between Eibar and Pamplona. Who knows if they got this from the same 'source' they got the Tour route.

I hope for an incursion in France and something in the Arnosteguy mountain...let the Vuelta show Le Tour what they keep ignoring.

 

[OlavEH]

Ancares from the north? Could be the same road as in 2014 which is pretty much the hardest MTF in the Vuelta apart from the Angliru.

Hope they don't go too simple overall with just having every mountain stage be a MTF. Would hope Mirador de Ezaro isn't in the ITT, but if it is, definitely prefer if it's the only climb on an otherwise rolling route of at least 35km.

Ancares north would be very nice. Top 3 of the MTFs I want to see in the Vuelta right after Sierra Nevada via Hazallanas and Pierre Saint Martin via Issarbe.

 

[Red Rick]

Ancares north would be very nice. Top 3 of the MTFs I want to see in the Vuelta right after Sierra Nevada via Hazallanas and Pierre Saint Martin via Issarbe.

Pretty much. I'd like a more conventional Sierra Nevada if they go really high, though not necessarily all the way to Pico Veleta. What's the highest you can do that climb while using it as a pass?

And I think we all wanna see French Basque Country used properly and that's more likely to happen in the Vuelta than in the Tour, unless the Giro gets Zomegnan back and Madrid bids for the start.

 

[OlavEH]

Pretty much. I'd like a more conventional Sierra Nevada if they go really high, though not necessarily all the way to Pico Veleta. What's the highest you can do that climb while using it as a pass?

And I think we all wanna see French Basque Country used properly and that's more likely to happen in the Vuelta than in the Tour, unless the Giro gets Zomegnan back and Madrid bids for the start.

The conventional Sierra Nevada is rarely the most entertaining stage. The climb is to even for that. Mostly 5-7 % the whole way. Using Hazallans you would have something like a 4 km section of 11-13 %, followed by almost 20 km of 5-7 % climb. The chance for an early selection and huge time gaps would be much bigger than using the normal route.

Looking at the map, I think you can climb to over 2300m, the resorts/sports centre there, and descend to Granada. There are two routes up to that point. Ascend via Collado de las Sabinas (A-4025) and descend via A-395, the main road.

https://www.google.no/maps/@37.1140272,-3.4194016,15.25z

Agree on the French Basque Country. That would be great if they used some of those climbs. I would also like to see some of the big Catalan climbs used again, but understands that it's unlikely due to the current political situation.

 

[RedheadDane]

So... Corendon wants a wild card.
Am I the only one who wouldn't be super surprised if they don't get it, despite the Dutch start? And if so, am I the only one hoping the management won't throw an Aqua Blue level hissy fit?

 

[tobydawq]

So... Corendon wants a wild card.
Am I the only one who wouldn't be super surprised if they don't get it, despite the Dutch start? And if so, am I the only one hoping the management won't throw an Aqua Blue level hissy fit?

I would be very surprised if they don't get it.

 

[Red Rick]

The conventional Sierra Nevada is rarely the most entertaining stage. The climb is to even for that. Mostly 5-7 % the whole way. Using Hazallans you would have something like a 4 km section of 11-13 %, followed by almost 20 km of 5-7 % climb. The chance for an early selection and huge time gaps would be much bigger than using the normal route.

Looking at the map, I think you can climb to over 2300m, the resorts/sports centre there, and descend to Granada. There are two routes up to that point. Ascend via Collado de las Sabinas (A-4025) and descend via A-395, the main road.

https://www.google.no/maps/@37.1140272,-3.4194016,15.25z

Agree on the French Basque Country. That would be great if they used some of those climbs. I would also like to see some of the big Catalan climbs used again, but understands that it's unlikely due to the current political situation.

Isn't there a southern road up to Pico Veleta that joins a few km from the very top? Is that never gonna happen?

O wait that looks to be all gravel. I'll stick to fantasy land then.

 

[ice&fire]

Isn't there a southern road up to Pico Veleta that joins a few km from the very top? Is that never gonna happen?

O wait that looks to be all gravel. I'll stick to fantasy land then.

Paved up to 1800m, gravel-like up to 2700m, full of larger pieces of stone after that.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVq1FPvwM_s

 

[gregrowlerson]

More things about Vuelta 2020's route.

Stage 16 : Muros-Ezaro ITT (33'5 km)
Stage 17 : Lugo - Ourense

The

More things about Vuelta 2020's route.

Stage 16 : Muros-Ezaro ITT (33'5 km)
Stage 17 : Lugo - Ourense

An ITT between 30-35kms?

Wow, the Vuelta really likes to mix up their routes!

 

[OlavEH]

It says on Wikipedia that the Vuelta starts already August 14. next year. Is this correct?

 

[Blanco]

The


An ITT between 30-35kms?

Wow, the Vuelta really likes to mix up their routes!

?
They have an ITT with that distance basically every year.

 

[KZD]

?
They have an ITT with that distance basically every year.

I am sure he was being ironic...

 

[ice&fire]

It says on Wikipedia that the Vuelta starts already August 14. next year. Is this correct?

Yes. That's the start date in the web page of the opening stages in the Netherlands:

Homepage

The 75th edition of La Vuelta will start in the Netherlands. In August 2020 we will welcome the all riders of the peloton.

www.lavueltaholanda.com

 

[Ludwigzgz]

I am sure he was being ironic...

Not so sure...
Ezaro...?
What Ezaro.,.?
This Ezaro...?

 

[tobydawq]

The hill where Rubén Fernández was an elite puncheur for a day and randomly managed to ride away from the likes of Valverde, Froome et al.

 

[Koronin]

The hill where Rubén Fernández was an elite puncheur for a day and randomly managed to ride away from the likes of Valverde, Froome et al.

The stage he got the red jersey for a day.

If I remember what Fernandez said correctly: Valverde told him to go try to get some glory for himself and not worry about him.

 

[tobydawq]

The stage he got the red jersey for a day.

If I remember what Fernandez said correctly: Valverde told him to go try to get some glory for himself and not worry about him.

That doesn't at all explain how he was so good that day and so mediocre on every other day in his career.

 

[Blanco]

That doesn't at all explain how he was so good that day and so mediocre on every other day in his career.

He was good for 2 minutes on Civiglio

 

[tobydawq]

He was good for 2 minutes on Civiglio

Eurosport decided to show commercials there, so I wouldn't know.

 

[Koronin]

That doesn't at all explain how he was so good that day and so mediocre on every other day in his career.

I agree with that. I expected more from him after that and we haven't seen much since then.

 

[ice&fire]

According to as.com the official presentation was planned for the 18th of December, but after the recent rescheduling of a football game between FCBarcelona and Real Madrid to that day Unipublic has decided to move the presentation to the 17th of December.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Some new rumours:
Andorra is out of the route.
There might be a finish at Moncalvillo (9.6k @ 8.5%), presumably the day before the Valdegovia stage.
The Ezaro TT is confirmed and will have about 30k of flat before the final climb (even though Paxareiras en route was teased by the official Twitter page). Looks quite similar to the 2017 Worlds TT.
There will be one or two more Galician stages, one of which will finish in Ribeira Sacra (presumably Luintra again, so should be a breakaway stage). No news on Ancares.

 

[ice&fire]

With 30km of flat ITT along the sea light climbers are going to be blown