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Vuelta a España 2022 Vuelta route rumors

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Yeah I also think that's about as good as it gets with the Sierra Nevada climbs. Some might prefer it without Cumbres Verdes as that climb is quite hard on it's own and might scare some people but I feel like Sierra Nevada kind of needs a climb after it. Even with the Haza Llanas route most attacks would still have to come on the 5-6% sections and that's a recipe for disappointment. Sierra Nevada is great for tactical moves and completely blowing up the peloton but not for an all out gc battle in a close race.
I think most options with Hazallanas/Sabinas as penultimate climb are fine. Even a finish at the Sierra Nevada at ~2500m wouldn't be that bad. Wouldn't be ideal, but it's a lot better than a Angliru final MTF.

I thought about Hazallanas > Monachil a bit but I don't think I like it that much anymore. I think you want Monachil before, with Ragua or Haza del Lino early in the stage. Collado de Alguacil is too hard for my taste but could be a good unipuerto MTF the day before or a better vanilla mountain stage in general.
 
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The Basque Country will host two full stages and the departure of the stage to Pico Jano.
Stage 4: Vitoria - Laguardia
Stage 5: Irún - Bilbao
Stage 6: Bilbao - Pico Jano


No clues about stage routes.

Stage 5/6 in Bilbao... which week day would that be? Wednesday/ Thursday?
 
Details of stage 4 behind a paywall

From the headline:

This would be far from the finish

Opakua500.JPG


This would be 12lm from the finish. Any other option would have the summit 20km or more from the finish.
Herrera500.JPG


Then, there is a 'final explosivo'. Laguardia is on top of a hill but all ramps are rather shallow.

New but unsurprising rumour:
Murcia will pay tribute to Valverde hosting a stage that comes from another region.

This is it, folks. Forget Sierra Nevada. The final party will be a loop over Cresta del Gallo and a finish at Alejandro's home.
I kid, I kid... :p
 
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There's three general outlines for the second and third weeks possible based on what little information we have now...

Option 1:
Stage 10: Trujillo - Piornal (or a transitional stage from somewhere closer to Asturias, in which case, move up all following stages)
Stage 11: ? - Talavera de la Reina
Stage 12: Talavera de la Reina - somewhere between Toledo and Albacete
Stage 13: Somewhere around Albacete - Murcia
Somewhere in week 3: Granada province - Peñas Blancas

Option 2:
Stage 10-12: ??
Stage 13: Trujillo - Piornal OR ? - Talavera de la Reina
Stage 14: ? - Talavera de la Reina OR Talavera de la Reina - somewhere that's mountainous
Stage 15: Talavera de la Reina - somewhere that's mountainous OR Trujillo - Piornal
[rest day + transfer]
Stage 16: ? - Murcia
[at least one, but probably more stages]
Stage 18/19/20: Granada province - Peñas Blancas

Option 3: big transfer on the second Monday, then Murcia and Peñas Blancas in the second week with Talavera de la Reina and Piornal near the end of the race

What about time trials, any rumours?
No, the only thing that seems certain is that it can't be in the first week, and Guillen has said there will be only one, but none of that should surprise anyone...
 
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In any case, it seems like the Peñas Blancas stage will not be the first of the southern mountain block. The Estepona side is badly disconnected from other climbs, so it would be very lame if that's the MTF. However, there is a solution: first climb the Estepona side, preferably via the steep variant (the profile below as far as the pass)...

realesesteponarosobt07.gif


... then descend the Jubrique side, before climbing the Genalguacil side to the finish. It's the profile below minus the first 1.1k. Finish can be either at the pass or at the end of the pavement, where the profile ends.

genalguacilreales07.gif


You barely avoid looping back on yourself this way.

52arKYC_d.webp
 
There will be a stage between Alicante and Elche, presumably the day before the Murcia stage (source). This could potentially be the ITT given the distance between both cities.

I'm leaning towards this being in the second week, because the third week would look like this otherwise:

Stage 16: Alicante - Elche
Stage 17: ? - Murcia
Stage 18: Province of Murcia - ? (most probably in the province of Almeria, maybe the eastern tip of the province of Granada if they stay far inland)
Stage 19: somewhere in the province of Granada
Stage 20: Province of Granada - Peñas Blancas (as discussed above, this would likely be an unipuerto stage)
Or alternatively, lengthy transfer after Stage 18, Peñas Blancas on Stage 19 and then back east for Stage 20. Both options seem questionable to me.

Of course, Alicante-Elche after Murcia is possible, not together with Peñas Blancas in week 3 though, and in any case the stage after the Murcia stage supposedly starts in the province of Murcia.
 
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I can't figure out what relevant surprises Unipublic is trying to sell us with a stage finish at Elche, as the article says. And I don't see an ITT there blocking roads for hours during a working day in an area where 'secondary' roads are mostly non-existent.
 
They're doing an awesome job at preventing leaks. Less than a week to the official presentation and we barely know what the second and third weeks will look like.
Perhaps they're in for a hell of transfer from Asturias to Alicante, go in the second week from there to Andalucía and the last week to Extremadura and possibly Gredos and Guadarrama. Non-backloaded route to lure Pogacar?
 
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The rumoured stage finish to Talavera de la Reina will be on the last Friday. So that's Andalucía in the second week, Piornal probably the day before Talavera and the last Saturday in Gredos or Guadarrama.

The link below mentions the Sierra around Talavera. That would be the Alto del Pielago, more than 25km from the finish.

 
Important to note that the article mentions it will be the only stage through Castilla-La Mancha. That implies two things: only a finish in Talavera (it was previously rumoured there would be a stage start too) and they'll be heading north either through Extremadura (in which case Trujillo-Piornal should be stage 18 and Guadarrama should be stage 20) or with another big transfer from Andalucia (in which case it could be either order).
 
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Dec 13, 2021
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I was wondering if Guillen would ever try something like Castillo de Calatrava climb? It has cobbles on it, but they don't look so nice from my pov. It is in Castilla la Mancha: 2,3 km with 8,7%.
 
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That's a nice combination for that point of the race. I guess Collado de Cieza directly before Brenes will be too much to ask for?

Cieza+los+corrales.jpg
According to people with access to the article, Unipublic has visited Cieza and Brenes and they liked Brenes better.
Nothing prevents them from having Portillón, Cieza and Brenes, but even if they only add the easier side of Portillón and Brenes it would be close to 200km and it shows they know their options and don't take the worst one as they've done sometimes in the past. Not bad for stage 6.
 
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As per AS, 9 MTFs of which at least 5 will be new to the race.

5 new ones:
  • Pico Jano
  • Fancuaya
  • Tentudía
  • Piornal
  • ?

4 returning MTFs:
  • Les Praeres (or Cuitu Negru or Angliru, both of those seem less likely though)
  • Peñas Blancas
  • ?
  • ?

Unless the Guadarrama stage is a MTF, the three currently unknown MTFs will all be after stage 11 (the Murcia stage) and before stage 17 (the Tentudía stage). The article implies at least one of these will be in Granada.
 
As per AS, 9 MTFs of which at least 5 will be new to the race.

5 new ones:
  • Pico Jano
  • Fancuaya
  • Tentudía
  • Piornal
  • ?
4 returning MTFs:
  • Les Praeres (or Cuitu Negru or Angliru, both of those seem less likely though)
  • Peñas Blancas
  • ?
  • ?
Unless the Guadarrama stage is a MTF, the three currently unknown MTFs will all be after stage 11 (the Murcia stage) and before stage 17 (the Tentudía stage). The article implies at least one of these will be in Granada.


penas blancas maybe can be seen as new as they will finish higher than last time?

a MTF on Sierra Nevada is quite likely I would say if Granada will have a mountain finish. Besides a mountain finish in Sierra de Gredos (plataforma de Gredos) or Guadarrama (bola do Mundo) is not completely unlikely neither. And maybe a hilly finish in bask country could maybe count as MTF as well?
 
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