VeloNews Reports -- Officials in Madrid confirmed today that the last stage of the Vuelta Espana, traditionally a celebratory parade-like procedure into Spain's capital followed by a bunch sprint, will end on the previously unused Verteduro de Basura climb.
'We wanted to inject a level of excitement into the traditionally predictable finale', race director Javier Guillen said. 'We talked to the Vuelta fans, and what they want to see is more city-based-hilltop finishes'. The Vuelta already features a finish on top of the hill of Montjuc in Barcelona.
Guillen also mentioned that organizing crews will start work on paving the climb, which is currently just a garbage dump on the outside of town. 'We had to work hard to find a suitable climb to finish this Vuelta with a bang', he said, noting that the 1.2km climb will have ramps of up to 25% at the section called Muro de Nevera. 'This is the section of the dump where all of the refridgerators are piled up, it makes for a challenge and will be quite a spectacle', Guillen predicted.
Sod will be laid down at the side of the freshly paved surface so that spectators will not have to stand in hot garbage in the late Madrid summer. Guillen pointed out that pleasing the fans is the first priority of the Vuelta organization. 'We listened to the fans when the route was leaked, and they said that this Vuelta was garbage. We wanted to give them more of what they wanted.'