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Advance of 2010 Vuelta a España

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icefire

Sep 21, 2009
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Advance of 2010 Vuelta a España

I had the chance this morning to have a quick look to the cover of Spanish sports newspaper Marca, and I have seen what looks good news for fans of mountain top finishes.

Former Vuelta director had been for a long time eager to have a stage finish on top of Alto de las Guarramillas, also known as La Bola del Mundo (The World's Ball). This is a peak just next to the Navacerrada mountain pass that tops at 2250 m. The road from Navacerrada pass to the peak climbs almost 400 m in just 3.4 km with a mean gradient of more than 11% and some ramps between 15% and 19%.

According to the cover of Marca, this peak may feature next year in the Vuelta. Unfortunately the digital edition of Marca says nothing, but the digital edition of As does.

Here is the link (in Spanish):
http://www.as.com/ciclismo/articulo/ciclismo-bola-mundo-21-rampas/dasclm/20091017dasdaicic_1/Tes

As' article says that the road (concrete) may require some repairs and some environmental issues need to be sorted out between race organisers and local and regional authorities. But if it cannot be included in 2010, it will be in 2011. The stage finish would be located at a height of 2179m, just about half a km before the top (I guess because of logistic needs). This would allow to have a hard MTF just next to Madrid, where the Vuelta usually ends every year.

The profile with a description (in Spanish) including the climb to Navacerrada from the South can be found at:
http://www.altimetrias.net/aspbk/verPuerto.asp?id=380

There are several pictures of the climb from Navacerrada here:
http://www.altimetrias.net/foro/fotos/verFotos.asp?id=271

The article also gives a few hints of 2010 Vuelta course. Race starts in Sevilla and rides to the East. First relevant climb will surely be at Xorret de Cati. Then they will ride to the North with mountain stages in the Pyrenees and Asturias. There will be a (presumably) spectacular stage in Andorra. In Asturias, they will not climb Angliru, but there will be a MTF in Lagos de Covadonga and there are rumors of another MTF at La Cubilla mountain pass

http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Puerto-della-Cubilla&qryMountainID=4999

The official Vuelta presentation will be on the 16th of December.
 
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Cogombre

Oct 15, 2009
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Yeah, that'd be soo awesome, but I've heard that they want to put asphalt over the current road of concrete. It'd be a shame. La Cubilla's also a good place to a top finish. It's exactly the opposite of Angliru though.

And I don't know if it's already been mentioned, but the start of la Vuelta will be a nocturne prologue in Sevilla.
 
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Cogombre

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luckyboy said:
Presumably, he means that the Angliru is 12.5km @ 9.9% and the Cubilla is 29km @ 4.5%
Click to expand...

Exactly ;)

It's not a bad place for a MTF, but only if the riders actually want to attack. It's something similar to Sierra Nevada. Very long, but not steep at all. With a good pace, and if they climb before some other hard asturian mountains, it could be very hard. With not that high pace and with a sh*tty stage like those the Vuelta organization usually does, it would be a sprint of a small group or attacks in the last km.
 
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icefire

Sep 21, 2009
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MrContador said:
Cima Chechu Rubiera will be climbed next year. It was settled back in 2008.
Click to expand...

Do you have reliable sources other than rumours about a chat between Vuelta director and Samuel Sánchez at the podium in Madrid last month?
 
MrContador

MrContador

Aug 3, 2009
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The summit was originally announced as the Stage 14 finish of this year's Vuelta a España (later changed to Fuentes de Invierno). Chechu recommended the Coto Bello to race organisers as a spectacular climb for fans. It's a climb he knows well as it lies just south of his home.

Chechu told us yesterday, "Coto Bello is a nice climb, not really steep but perfect to enjoy without suffering. It was a surprise for me when they called to ask me if I would agree to put my name (to the summit). I really don't think I deserve it, but it is really nice."

The re-naming of Coto Bello takes place on 31 October and Cima Chechu Rubiera will make its debut at the Vuelta in 2010.
Click to expand...

This was reported a year ago by Daily Peloton. I think it was mentioned at Chechu Rubiera notebook too.
 
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icefire

Sep 21, 2009
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MrContador said:
This was reported a year ago by Daily Peloton. I think it was mentioned at Chechu Rubiera notebook too.
Click to expand...

Looks that one year ago it's too long ago to be reliable. I read in a Spanish forum that Samuel Sánchez told Javier Guillén (the Vuelta director) at the podium in Madrid that he will focus on the Tour next year, skipping the Vuelta. Mr Guillén was obviously dissapointed as Sánchez had been one of those who insisted in having a Vuelta stage finish at Coto Bello (Cima Chechu Rubiera) that would be included in 2010.

However, knowing that there will be a MTF at Lagos de Covadonga, and the last rumours also add another Asturian MTF at La Cubilla, it doesn't seem very likely to me that they put 3 MFT in a row (even with a rest day) as they've done in 2009 with Velefique, Sierra Nevada and La Pandera.

I don't know the region in detail, but I guess that La Cubilla can be paired with a hardest climb (Cobertoria) than Coto Bello (Colladona?).
 
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icefire

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craig1985

craig1985

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icefire said:
The climb to Cotobello seems to be confirmed according to Asturias regional news site:

http://www.elcomerciodigital.com/20091121/deportes/ciclismo/cotobello-estrena-vuelta-20091121.html

Google translation here (not very good, I must say):

http://translate.google.com/transla...ello-estrena-vuelta-20091121.html&sl=es&tl=en

And some pictures of the climb here:

http://39x28.blogia.com/2009/071001-coto-bello-altimetria-y-fotos-.php
Click to expand...

It is in according to the CN front page.
 
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icefire

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Another new climb that is said to feature next year: Rat Penat. Looking at the profile it's a short but steep climb that looks like the Xorret de Catí.

The news in Spanish:
http://www.elperiodico.com/default....a=CAS&idnoticia_PK=669370&idseccio_PK=1011&h=

And in (sort of) English translation:
http://translate.google.es/translat...669370&idseccio_PK=1011&h=&sl=es&tl=en&swap=1

The climb is near the coast a few kms SW from Barcelona. The news says that the Vuelta technical director was measuring the descent, so it's very likely that the stage finish is placed in one of the towns at the shoreline.

Now we have to wait how they will go from there to Andorra to see if there is a decent course in the Pyrenees. Official Vuelta presentation is due next Wednesday.
 
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