Vuelta a España 2023 Vuelta a España route rumours

[OlavEH]

Fairly good mountain stages in the Vuelta next year. The only thing wrong is the sequence. Angliru and Covadonga should rather have been at the end of the second week, while the Pyrenees stages were the last week.

Right now the Vuelta seems closest of reaching it's potential for good mountain stages of the GTs next year. The Giro are furthest from it's potential.

 

[ice&fire]

Fairly good mountain stages in the Vuelta next year. The only thing wrong is the sequence. Angliru and Covadonga should rather have been at the end of the second week, while the Pyrenees stages were the last week.

Right now the Vuelta seems closest of reaching it's potential for good mountain stages of the GTs next year. The Giro are furthest from it's potential.

The Vuelta is missing its potential by far when they cross the French border while systematically ignore or misuse Spain's own mountain ranges. It is ironic that in some cases this is because of inter-regional borders like Ancares. And that's why we'll probably never see stages like Picón Blanco after several climbs in Cantabria. But there are quite a few mountain ranges with no regional borders that have never been part of the race for reasons that no one understands.

 

[OlavEH]

It is ironic that in some cases this is because of inter-regional borders like Ancares. And that's why we'll probably never see stages like Picón Blanco after several climbs in Cantabria. But there are quite a few mountain ranges with no regional borders that have never been part of the race for reasons that no one understands.

What mountain ranges are you missing in the Vuelta?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

What mountain ranges are you missing in the Vuelta?

Everything to the west of Puerto de San Lorenzo (western Asturias, all of Galicia, Ponferrada area passes) is badly underused, if at all. Same is true for all of Catalonia and all the big climbs in the Sierra Nevada and its surroundings bar the various roads to Hoya de la Mora. And then various areas (most notably the Basque Country) are never used properly.

If we're talking entire ranges, there are arguably only two that have a HC pass on the mainland given that everything from Galicia to the Pyrenees is continuous, so that clearly isn't what's being referred to.

 

[ice&fire]

What mountain ranges are you missing in the Vuelta?

Serra do Courel in Galicia
Everything in the Ancares area South-West of Puerto de Ancares, also in Galicia
Western Asturias has two monster climbs waiting to be used: La Marta and La Bobia.
La Cabrera, in León
Sierra Contraviesa, just South of Sierra Nevada.

And borders, inter-regional borders I'm afraid I'll be missing forever:
Asturias-Leon-Galicia around Ancares.
Galicia-Leon West of La Cabrera. Fonte da Cova is a monster climb, although the landscape is fugly because it's full of slate quarries.
Cantabria-Burgos
Cantabria-Leon-Asturias on the South side of Picos de Europa.
Sierra Norte de Guadalajara (we saw a hint of it in 2015) and Madrid

 

[Red Rick]

Funny scenes when Trobaniello is my most realistic pipedream.

 

[ice&fire]

Funny scenes when Trobaniello is my most realistic pipedream.

Gamoniteiro is an indication. Just focus on a dream.

 

[Red Rick]

Gamoniteiro is an indication. Just focus on a dream.

I willed Croix de Coeur into existence. I can do so again.

 

[OlavEH]

Everything to the west of Puerto de San Lorenzo (western Asturias, all of Galicia, Ponferrada area passes) is badly underused, if at all. Same is true for all of Catalonia and all the big climbs in the Sierra Nevada and its surroundings bar the various roads to Hoya de la Mora. And then various areas (most notably the Basque Country) are never used properly.

Hopefully, return of Barcelona next year, mean that we'll see more stages in Catalunya the coming years. Some of the biggest climbs in Spain not used at all the last decade+ are in Catalunya. Like Coll de Pal, Peguera, Pradell + Fumanya, etc.

 

[ice&fire]

Hopefully, return of Barcelona next year, mean that we'll see more stages in Catalunya the coming years. Some of the biggest climbs in Spain not used at all the last decade+ are in Catalunya. Like Coll de Pal, Peguera, Pradell + Fumanya, etc.

They're not even used in the Volta a Catalunya

 

[Mayomaniac]

I willed Croix de Coeur into existence. I can do so again.

Ok, the 2024 Giro needs to have Passo della Forcella/la Stentaria before and easy uphill finish in Sauris, focus on that!

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

They're not even used in the Volta a Catalunya

Isnt it risk for snow at altitudes like 2000m in march? Or Maybe its only Coll de Pal that goes this high?

 

[OlavEH]

Isnt it risk for snow at altitudes like 2000m in march? Or Maybe its only Coll de Pal that goes this high?

They do use Vallter 2000 i Catalunya. And that is over 2100m, while Pradell is only about 1700 and Peguera is just below 1900.

 

[Ulle97]

Is that the Rassos de Peguera you are talking about?
I think it was used in the 1999 Vuelta when Ullrich won. It's a hard climb but it didn't create huge gaps that day. I think Zulle won the stage iirc.

 

[OlavEH]

Is that the Rassos de Peguera you are talking about?

That's correct. A fairly good MTF. Coll de Pal even better.

 

[gavia88]

Is that the Rassos de Peguera you are talking about?
I think it was used in the 1999 Vuelta when Ullrich won. It's a hard climb but it didn't create huge gaps that day. I think Zulle won the stage iirc.

I remember it being used in the settimana Catalana as well. Boogerd won that race, but got attacked by diLuca on the MTF of Rassos de Peguera.

With 14.8 km at 7,5% it's borderline 1st/HC

 

[gavia88]

Hopefully, return of Barcelona next year, mean that we'll see more stages in Catalunya the coming years. Some of the biggest climbs in Spain not used at all the last decade+ are in Catalunya. Like Coll de Pal, Peguera, Pradell + Fumanya, etc.

Only risk is that Vuelta is going to use the Pradell climb as a MTF

 

[Devil's Elbow]

The Andorra stage will be an MTF contrary to earlier reports, unclear which climb but it should be in one of the alpine ski resorts (more probably the Vallnord side, so Arcalis, Arinsal, Pal, or even the Port de Cabus MTF that was rumoured for the 2021 Tour).

 

[OlavEH]

The Andorra stage will be an MTF contrary to earlier reports, unclear which climb but it should be in one of the alpine ski resorts (more probably the Vallnord side, so Arcalis, Arinsal, Pal, or even the Port de Cabus MTF that was rumoured for the 2021 Tour).

Unipuerto stage? I fear that if the start is in Barcelona.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Unipuerto stage? I fear that if the start is in Barcelona.

From what we know, the start of that stage should be in the province of Barcelona (which reaches into the Pyrenees) but not the city itself, so not necessarily.

 

[OlavEH]

From what we know, the start of that stage should be in the province of Barcelona (which reaches into the Pyrenees) but not the city itself, so not necessarily.

Okay. Hope that they move the start far enough north so they could do a couple of climbs in Andorra before the MTF. HUGE difference between a Gallina-Beixallis-Arinsal MTF or a unipuerto Arcalis MTF.

 

[gavia88]

Okay. Hope that they move the start far enough north so they could do a couple of climbs in Andorra before the MTF. HUGE difference between a Gallina-Beixallis-Arinsal MTF or a unipuerto Arcalis MTF.

it's the first real mountain stage. They most likely have dificult pyrenees in the second week, and at the end of 3 weeks Angliru and Lagos. I think they could design the best stage ever, not much is going to happen on stage 3 in terms of long range attacks. A mountain finish is just fine at this stage of the race. A Beixalis downhill finish would have been more interesting I agree. I'm actually more curious what they come up with for the Barcelona - Barcelona stage. A nice medium mountain stage, with a few times the steep side of the Monjuic climb, could be great.

 

[OlavEH]

it's the first real mountain stage. They most likely have dificult pyrenees in the second week, and at the end of 3 weeks Angliru and Lagos. I think they could design the best stage ever, not much is going to happen on stage 3 in terms of long range attacks. A mountain finish is just fine at this stage of the race. A Beixalis downhill finish would have been more interesting I agree. I'm actually more curious what they come up with for the Barcelona - Barcelona stage. A nice medium mountain stage, with a few times the steep side of the Monjuic climb, could be great.

Yeah, you're probably right here. But an Arcalis or Pal MTF is just useless regarding of where it placed in the race.

 

[gavia88]

Yeah, you're probably right here. But an Arcalis or Pal MTF is just useless regarding of where it placed in the race.

a first selection. In the Vuelta it is always a bit of an uncertainty who of the top riders is in shape and which talents can play a role during the race. Who of the riders who did the tour (and giro) are still in shape? who can maybe surprise? ect. Pal or Arcalis are at least dificult enough for some kind of a selection.

 

[ice&fire]

Cantabria is negotiating with Unipublic a stage in La Liébana.

I'm not sure how to fit this with what has been published so far. I can only see it after Asturias. Anything else would require ridiculous transfers. So the last week would be:

Valladolid ITT
???
Leon-Asturias
Asturias
Cantabria
Madrid

Cantabria negocia un final de etapa de la Vuelta 2023 en Liébana

La ronda arrancará el 26 de agosto en Barcelona y concluirá el 17 de septiembre en Madrid

www.eldiariomontanes.es