More rumours from various sources, helpfully compiled into one place by Jordi at APM.
- possible MTF at La Camperona in León. This is a rumour we had already heard, now reported in Diario de León, so seems to be gaining steam. This is a pure Unipublic wet dream, as it's almost impossible to link to any other hard climbs without at least a fairly long period of flat, and, well, just look at the last few kilometres:
- Diario de León also confirms a stage will finish with at least one lap of the Ponferrada World Championships circuit.
- Javier Guillén has advised we will see a new side of Ancares either 2014 or 2015. Suspicions point to Pan do Zarco. However with Ancares so close to Ponferrada it seems unlikely that they would waste it on a stage finishing in Ponferrada, and also unlikely that they would cluster stage finishes so close together, so maybe 2015 it is?
- Faro de Vigo reports Vilagarcía de Arousa to host the long TT next year.
- Aragón is likely to host stages, up to three in the region according to local television. Baños de Panticosa is rumoured, possibly Cerler though.
- It is now rumoured according to a journalist at Cadena SER that after five stages in Andalucía the race will head into Extremadura, rather than to Murcía and Valencia as previously rumoured. Galicia and Asturias are guaranteed on the route.
- El Periòdic d'Andorra reports that the country has again requested to host an integral stage, although it would be unlikely to be at Collada de la Gallina. If so, I am hoping for Els Cortals d'Encamp or Vallnord Sector Arinsal.
- Sergi López-Egea has commented that there will not be any stages in Catalunya in 2014. This would make the Andorra option unlikely, unless he just means they will pass through, in which case I guess they could do somewhere like Barbastro or Graus via Coll Montllobar-Port del Cantó-Andorra, or immediately after Cerler, perhaps Benasque via Coll de Fadas-Creu de Perves-Port del Cantó-Andorra, though this would be a long stage and still have a pretty long break before the final climb.
If they are going from Andalucía to Extremadura it would then make Sierra de la Pandera unlikely to be stage 5, perhaps more likely stage 4 after the Cadíz stages? This would then suggest heading north and then the ITT in Galicia being in the middle of the route, which would make sense given the pacing of the last three Vueltas, however the La Camperona and Ponferrada stages would seem logical to place next to one another. Second weekend stages perhaps? This would then place Asturias late in the second week however, and then suggest a fairly tame closing off to the race with the Aragón stages, as these are hardly major week 3 mountaintops to compete with the recent years:
I just don't see these as likely unless they're anticipating a stage like Fuente Dé after the rest day (which might then explain a transfer across the country, as we have had rumours around Andalucía, Extremadura, Valencia, Galicia, Asturias and León, but not much to date for the transitional areas between these and Aragón i.e. País Vasco, Navarra, La Rioja, Burgos, Soria, Cantabria).
So maybe they'll go this way first, then loop around and do Aragón, cross across to Galicia in a transfer or go via Burgos/Cantabria/Asturias, then stick La Camperona and the Worlds circuit into week 3 before the likely Bola del Mundo finale? Or maybe Extremadura, then across to Valencia for the end of week 1, north through Aragón and then over to Galicia, Asturias and León? That would make the TT very late and mean an oddly timed transfer from Aragón to the west however. Or maybe from Aragón they will head south and the Valencian mountains will be the last ones? I'd find it strange though, as they couldn't really sell something like Aitana as a big mountain showdown, and it'd put them on the wrong side for the mountains overlooking Madrid too.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram