Vuelta a España 2012

[rantanplan]

Now there are rumours about two stages in Asturias... some of these rumours necessarily have to be wrong.

And now rumours of a ITT in Pontevedra (Galicia) and two mountain stages in the Ancares region



http://www.gpcanaldecastilla.com the spanish Roubaix

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Well, maybe it's a pure northern route then, if Andorra is meant to be stages 8 and 9, they can only be looping around via País Vasco then south and if these new rumours are to be believed then not going to the south at all save for Comunidad Valenciana territory; OR they're going to go almost due south straight away, head back up to Andorra for 8 and 9 then go back through País Vasco, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia through week 2.

Neither really make much viable sense.

In the last couple of years all 3 GT routes have been known the previous year.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Well, maybe it's a pure northern route then.

That would be a shame. Part of La Vuelta's originality and identity come from the scorching, southern Spanish late summer temperatures and the stark landscapes they bring.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That would be a shame. Part of La Vuelta's originality and identity come from the scorching, southern Spanish late summer temperatures and the stark landscapes they bring.

Agreed. And besides, I'm not sure I can really see a viable way that they cover even half the country with the stages rumoured, given that the start being in Pamplona is one of the things they've already announced. They'd have to neuter most of the first week, like in 2007 when they started in Vigo and gave us Lagos de Covadonga on stage 4, but went through the north of the country wasting all that beautiful climbing territory before going on to the next MTF in Cerler of all places!!!

 

[Descender]

A finish on the Alto de Arrate, the MTF par excellance of the Tour of the Basque Country in recent years, has been pretty much confirmed for stage 3!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

This is good news. Also, it makes me hopeful that the Itzulia will use a different queen stage, as Arrate was the queen stage of the Euskal Bizikleta every year when its ProTour cousin had varying routes, now it's settled in as the big MTF. I like Arrate, but I'd like to see the Itzulia put a finish on Urkiola or Sollube as the big moment.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

This is good news. Also, it makes me hopeful that the Itzulia will use a different queen stage, as Arrate was the queen stage of the Euskal Bizikleta every year when its ProTour cousin had varying routes, now it's settled in as the big MTF. I like Arrate, but I'd like to see the Itzulia put a finish on Urkiola or Sollube as the big moment.

What is the hardest climb in Basque Country, excluding the Pyrenees?

 

[roundabout]

I think it's San Miguel de Aralar

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I think it's San Miguel de Aralar

Thanks.

And in the autonomous community?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

San Miguel de Áralar (11,2km, 8,1%) is in Nafarroa, so it depends on whether you're restricting yourself to the Basque Country as in the Spanish entity or the lands claimed as Basque as a whole including Nafarroa and the French Basque country.

If you include the French Basque country then Errozate (10,1km, 9,6%) is probably toughest, but there's also Elhursaro/Arnostegui. In Navarre you also have the Higo de Monréal (8,8km, 9,5%), and some others.

If we're saying strictly País Vasco, then the main one is the Puerto de Urkiola (6,1km, 9,2%, though you can carry on a short while to the Santuario if you want). There's Pagolar (6,2km, 9,6%), Bikotx-Gane (5,1km, 8,3%), Larreder (7,2km, 8,2%, can easily be linked to Lamindao), Collado Elosua (9,7km, 5,6% from one side, 7,3km, 7,7% from the other), and one that I think should be used as a finish more often (i.e. for once), Sollube (hardest side 10,0km, 6.8%) but Urkiola is the main one that combines the toughness with being viable as a finish (Pagolar, for example, isn't). There's plenty of medium-length but less steep climbs, like Azurki, Asturiana, Urraki, Arantzazu and so on.

When it comes to shorter climbs, there's quite a few; this is where the Basque country excels. Aia is the most famous and among the hardest (1,4km, 14,4%), but there's also the Santuario de Virgén de Oro that the Euskal Bizikleta used to use, Asterrika (hardest side 2,3km, 9,6%), Kanpazar (3,0km, 9%), Lamindao (2,4km, 10%) and this utter beast:

 

[gustienordic]

San Miguel de Áralar (11,2km, 8,1%) is in Nafarroa, so it depends on whether you're restricting yourself to the Basque Country as in the Spanish entity or the lands claimed as Basque as a whole including Nafarroa and the French Basque country.

If you include the French Basque country then Errozate (10,1km, 9,6%) is probably toughest, but there's also Elhursaro/Arnostegui. In Navarre you also have the Higo de Monréal (8,8km, 9,5%), and some others.

If we're saying strictly País Vasco, then the main one is the Puerto de Urkiola (6,1km, 9,2%, though you can carry on a short while to the Santuario if you want). There's Pagolar (6,2km, 9,6%), Bikotx-Gane (5,1km, 8,3%), Larreder (7,2km, 8,2%, can easily be linked to Lamindao), Collado Elosua (9,7km, 5,6% from one side, 7,3km, 7,7% from the other), and one that I think should be used as a finish more often (i.e. for once), Sollube (hardest side 10,0km, 6.8%) but Urkiola is the main one that combines the toughness with being viable as a finish (Pagolar, for example, isn't). There's plenty of medium-length but less steep climbs, like Azurki, Asturiana, Urraki, Arantzazu and so on.

When it comes to shorter climbs, there's quite a few; this is where the Basque country excels. Aia is the most famous and among the hardest (1,4km, 14,4%), but there's also the Santuario de Virgén de Oro that the Euskal Bizikleta used to use, Asterrika (hardest side 2,3km, 9,6%), Kanpazar (3,0km, 9%), Lamindao (2,4km, 10%) and this utter beast:

This stage has Joaquim Rodriguez spelt all over it (unless Valverde is racing well)

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Thanks, Libertine! That Londogorta climb has got to be the toughest in the Basque Country "province" by a wide margin. I can't find any pics of that road, however. Is it viable as a MTF?

 

[Ferminal]

It's Montelupone after a year in the Clinic.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Thanks, Libertine! That Londogorta climb has got to be the toughest in the Basque Country "province" by a wide margin. I can't find any pics of that road, however. Is it viable as a MTF?

This is the road:

I don't think there's room at the top for a pro race. Maybe for an amateur one. It wouldn't be impossible, but it would be a real stretch on resources.

 

[greenedge]

Yeah but presumably the time gaps would be enormous right. Contador could just attack at the bottom and the strongest follow him, 3 or so minutes down.

Arrate seemed steep so it should be a good Vuelta next year. I wonder if Nibali would back up from the TDF to do the Vuelta as he presumably would be leader at the WC for Italy since Rebellin/ Basso have to sit out.

 

[roundabout]

After Arrate and Canolich yet another return to Pena Cabarga should not be even rumored.

What's next for 2012, Xorret de Cati, Valdepenas and San Lorenzo del Escorial?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

After Arrate and Canolich yet another return to Pena Cabarga should not be even rumored.

What's next for 2012, Xorret de Cati, Valdepenas and San Lorenzo del Escorial?

The Vuelta has had a recent tendency to revisit something that's worked two years in a row - Peña Cabarga 2010 & 11, Xorret del Catí 2009 & 10, Valdepeñas de Jaén 2010 & 11, looks like País Vasco 2011 & 12, so I wouldn't be surprised to see SLdE on the route.

 

[rantanplan]

I´d love they repeat Ancares climb!

http://www.gpcanaldecastilla.com the spanish Roubaix?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I´d love they repeat Ancares climb!

http://www.gpcanaldecastilla.com the spanish Roubaix?

I think most people would like to see Ancares again, just used a bit more centrally.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I think most people would like to see Ancares again, just used a bit more centrally.

It couldn't have been closer to the center of that stage if it tried.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It couldn't have been closer to the center of that stage if it tried.

Haha, point taken. Obviously I meant centrally to the plot, but you're right, it was as dead centre as it comes.

 

[Descender]

Rumours of stage finishes on Peña Cabarga, Lagos de Covadonga, Pajares... I fear this might be the worst Vuelta route since 2007.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If the Andorra thing isn't completely up the wrong tree, it feels like we might just have a Vuelta route here that never ventures south of Madrid.

I mean, the rumours we have so far are Stage 1 in Pamplona, stage 3 to Arrate, stage 8 to Andorra, stage 9 to Vallter2000, Peña Cabarga, Lagos de Covadonga and Pajares, that would be 6 summit finishes, and all of them in the north (2 in Asturias, 1 in Cantabria, 1 in País Vasco and 2 in the Pyrenées).

That would be a pretty terrible route, but for entirely different reasons than the ones in 2007.

 

[roundabout]

Rumors point to a terrible route because there will again be bazillion 1-climb mountain/uphill finishes and not much else.

 

[greenedge]

I just hope theres' no heatwave so riders can't complain about a day where they have only had to tackle one real climb and all the smaller other ones they complain about.