Vuelta 2018 Stage 12:Mondoñedo - Faro de Estaca de Bares

Mar 29, 2016
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Thursday's stage

Vuelta 2018 Stage 12:Mondoñedo - Faro de Estaca de Bares 181.1 km (edit - start time 12.17 CET)

At 181.1 kilometres, stage 12 in the Vuelta runs from Mondoñedo to Faro de Estaca de Bares, a lighthouse on the north edge of Spain, overlooking the Atlantic. The finale is pepped up by a string of short climbs and narrow roads.

Departure place Mondoñedo is situated in the northern outliers of the Cantabrian Mountains. In a valley to be precise, and shortly after the start the riders tackle the 3rd category ascent of the Alto de Cadeira – 5.8 kilometres at 6.5%. It’s a good spot to launch an attack. The summit peaks at merely 435 metres, yet this is the highest point of today’s route.

Following the descent the route continues on rolling roads along the Galician coast – as rugged as enchanting – to turn inland in Porto do Barqueiro. At kilometre 124 the Alto de San Pedro appears. The first 3 kilometres go up at 7% – and feature 300 metres with double digit gradients – before a short drop leads to the less steep second part. The Alto de San Pedro amounts to 7.4 kilometres, while its average gradient is 4.9%.

Some 31 kilometres before the line a 2.9 kilometres hill at 6% sets the tone for the finale, as a string of short climbs mark the last 20 kilometres. Basically, the route heads from one hill to the next – 1 kilometre at 4.5% (with 18.4 kilometres left), 2.8 kilometres at 5% (14.2 kilometres left), 2.4 kilometres at 4.6% (9.2 kilometres left), 1.7 kilometres at 3.5% (5.2 kilometres left), and 1.2 kilometres at 2.6% (3.2 kilometres left).

La Vuelta once again moves through Porto do Barqueiro before the roads start to become more narrow in the last 7 kilometres and even tighter 1.5 kilometres before the line. Obviously, this is good news for attackers, as it will be hard to chase them down on alley-wide roads. The finish is at Faro de Estaca de Bares, the northernmost part of Spain.

The finale is further pepped up by a 1.2 kilometres drop with 2.6 kilometres to go before a 400 metres uphill kick at 2.8% runs to the last kilometre. These are slightly descending at 3%.

stage-12-profile.jpg


Up & down last 5 km
stage-12-5km.jpg


Map showing a lot of coastal roads -
stage-12-route.jpg
 
Apr 6, 2016
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Looks like a great finale. Too hard for the pure sprinters I think. So i'll go with a late attack by Pöstlberger.
 
Mar 29, 2016
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The all important weather forecast is for rain showers all day and a gusty north easterly wind. Only 17C.

Edit - the last 50 km into a headwind and possible rain, up & down as only the Vuelta can - it will take a strong man to win from a breakaway.
 
Oct 14, 2017
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Amazinmets87 said:
Koronin said:
Looks like it could be another battle between Sagan and Valverde.
On 2.5km of downhill?

I think Valverde wants the bonus seconds to get the red jersey. Not sure any of the sprinters outside of Sagan will be there.
 
Aug 5, 2009
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Looks like a danger stage for GC riders. Wind, rain, hills and narrow roads and pressure on to stay near the front of the bunch. Someone is sure to be caught out. Maybe another one for the break depending on the wind although there will also be a lot of tired riders from yesterday.
 
Apr 16, 2009
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Laplaz said:
IMG_20180905_223552.jpg


Looks like a great finale. Too hard for the pure sprinters I think. So i'll go with a late attack by Pöstlberger.
Again, another profile where we have been fooled. This changes everything. That plus the rain and the headwind make for a difficult finale.
 
Aug 18, 2010
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I’m beginning to think that whoever draws the official stage profiles is messing with the sprinter’s heads deliberately.
 
Oct 14, 2017
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Zinoviev Letter said:
I’m beginning to think that whoever draws the official stage profiles is messing with the sprinter’s heads deliberately.


LOL, who knows. Valverde said last year with the amount of climbing they leave out of profiles he's wondered if they are afraid of scaring off riders.

However, how exactly did that much climbing in a stage constitute a sprinters' stage?
 
Mar 29, 2016
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With yesterday's crazy speed and the colder wet weather, it could cause problems for those skinny climbers at the weekend.
 
Mar 29, 2016
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Laplaz said:
IMG_20180906_073707.jpg


This is actually the finish line, very narrow streets.

Max 2 man sprint?! :D It will be madness with everyone trying to be at the front from 1.5 km out. Gotta love the Vuelta!
 
Jul 6, 2016
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movingtarget said:
Looks like a danger stage for GC riders. Wind, rain, hills and narrow roads and pressure on to stay near the front of the bunch. Someone is sure to be caught out. Maybe another one for the break depending on the wind although there will also be a lot of tired riders from yesterday.
Winds are forecast to be 16 MPH steady coming in from the ocean from the northeast. So that means an unhelpful crosswind for the entire coastal portion of the stage, and probably some echelon-type riding . Then the finish of the route turns around, and heads towards the lighthouse to the northeast, so it will be more of a headwind at the end.
 
Jan 4, 2011
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Laplaz said:
IMG_20180905_223552.jpg


Looks like a great finale. Too hard for the pure sprinters I think. So i'll go with a late attack by Pöstlberger.

Wait, what? That's the finale?

In the Tour those are 3 category 3 climbs, in the Vuelta they're invisible on the profile :D
 
Oct 2, 2011
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Holy moley. Another great finale. This Vuelta has had some very good hilly stages. Like how the Giro used to be.
 
Oct 2, 2011
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Nibali must have a decent chance today. Kwiatkowski and Valverde are the most likely winners, but I would be thinking of riders like Nibali, de Gendt, Fraile, etc.
 
Jul 1, 2015
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Laplaz said:
IMG_20180905_223552.jpg


Looks like a great finale. Too hard for the pure sprinters I think. So i'll go with a late attack by Pöstlberger.
They could have added an extra hill just before the finish climbing 115m in 0.8km.
 
Mar 29, 2016
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Re: Vuelta 2018 Stage 12:Mondoñedo - Faro de Estaca de Bare

17 riders are now at the front including Vincenzo Nibali - deja vu!
 
Aug 12, 2012
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Nibali trying to be on the break, He is very good with rain, and it is a pleasure to see him fighting for a stage, so I hope to see him on the break.
 

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