Vuelta a España 2017 Rumours

[ice&fire]

Re:

I am puzzled about these many MTF's.

Several articles (probably with the same original sources) stated that most likely there would "only" be 8 MTF's.


Currently we have Andorra, Cumbre del Sol, (Xorret Cati), La Pandera, (Calar Alto), (Sierra Nevada/IRAM/Pico Veleta), Antequera, Los Machucos, Toribio (the other murito in Cantabria), Angliru... Did I forget any?


I thought maybe Andorra would have that slight downhill at the end (if they climbed it from the Envalira-side and before the news with La Pandera that would have meant exactly 8. Now I am just really confused.

Can anyone btw tell me why La Pandera is so hyped? Is it the history? Looking at just the profile, sure it is a tough mountain but by no means compatible with so many of the other climbs in both Vuelta and Giro - I guess even in the TDF occassionally there are tougher mountains than La Pandera (joking).

According to reports the finish in Antequera will be at a dolmen site recently inscribed the UNESCO World Heritage list. This will not be a MTF. There are still a few stage finishes to be unveiled and the number of MTFs was said to be less than 10 and no less than 8, so it could perfectly be 9.

La Pandera has typically seen attacks and riders dropped when they hit the wall with 5kms to go followed by a chase in the easier terrain up the road. Just remember Valverde being dropped in 2009 to chase and overtake everyone but Sanchez and Mosquera. It's a longer show than the typical Vuelta MTF.

 

[ice&fire]

This is interesting:

http://www.elcomercio.es/deportes/ciclismo/201612/17/gijon-unipublic-negocian-etapa-20161217004227-v.html

The city of Gijón is in talks with Unipublic. Unipublic offers a stage departure, the city prefers a stage finish but there is also the option of an ITT. Now the interesting thing: this would be the second last stage, the day after Angliru.

Then there is a course description which doesn't include stage finish or departure places already confirmed such as Cuenca or La Pandera. I'm afraid the editor of this is a bit clueless.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If we could get something akin to the Clásica Ciudad de Gijón posted on PRC, this could be an amazing final "competitive" stage with an Amstel Gold-alike. That or start from Siero, Oviedo, Mieres or Pola de Lena with a loop over various mountains to get to Grado, go over La Degollada and then some smaller climbs into Gijón.

 

[ice&fire]

That'd be great. We just need a brutal stage to Angliru the day before. And make this one just 120km long, please

 

[ice&fire]

The finish at Cuenca will be a repeat of 2006, a climb on cobbled streets to the castle followed by a descent.
http://eldeporteconquense.com/noticias/noticias-ciclismo/2016/12/18/la-llegada-cuenca-la-vuelta-ciclista-espana-repetira-final-2006/

 

[Red Rick]

Sounds cool enough

 

[ice&fire]

http://ciclismo.as.com/ciclismo/2016/12/22/vuelta_espana/1482446336_705255.html
It looks like it's all rumours quoting other rumours but no confirmation from Unipublic, local or regional authorities.
3 MTFs in Andalucía. La Pandera, Sierra Nevada (no higher than Hoya de la Mora at ~2500m) and Calar Alto or Velefique. Nothing new here.

 

[Red Rick]

Weak AF

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Also, that would be a pretty direct clone of 2009, where they started abroad, the best designed mountain stages were raced conservatively because of fear of the steepness of the final MTF, and they did Xorret del Catí, Velefique, Sierra Nevada and La Pandera.

 

[ice&fire]

Sierra Nevada through Haza Llana up to Hoya de la Mora (2500m) preceded by Monachil:
http://www.ideal.es/granada/deportes/ciclismo/201612/24/vuelta-2017-subira-sierra-20161224105306.html
It looks an extension of the 2013 stage won by Horner.

The 'weird' thing is that the stage is scheduled on a Wednesday. The finish in Antequera will probably be the day after. With the first rest day somewhere between Cumbre del Sol (on the Sunday before) and Sierra Nevada, we may have a repeat of the 2009 MTFs, but I can't see how they fit in consecutive days and in the same order if Antequera goes the day after Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Nevada stage departs from Alcalá la Real as stated in the linked page. Alcalá la Real is 200km from Calar Alto and 60km from la Pandera. I'm inclined to think that la Pandera may be the day before Sierra Nevada and the MTF in Almería (Calar Alto or Velefique) may be dropped after all, unless they return for the weekend. And this opens the question of what the weekend before the second rest day will look like.

 

[ice&fire]

Logroño will host the ITT on Tuesday of the 3rd week:
http://ciclismo.as.com/ciclismo/2016/12/25/vuelta_espana/1482690260_667632.html

Departure will be in Los Arcos (Navarra). The shortest way to the finish avoiding the highway is 37kms. Profile is mostly flat with a central section of curvy roads on rolling terrain but no big hills.

 

[ice&fire]

I've tried to put the parcourse given the published dates for the finishes at places such as Andorra, Tarragona, Cuenca, Cumbres del Sol, Sierra Nevada, Antequera and Logroño.


Stage 1 (Sat 19/8) Nimes TTT
Stage 2 (Sun 20/8) Nimes - (Roussillon ??)
Stage 3 (Mon 21/8) (Roussillon ??) - Andorra (MTF)
Stage 4 (Tue 22/8) (Andorra ?) - (Tarragona)
Stage 5 (Wed 23/8) (Tarragona ?) - (Castellón ???)
Stage 6 (Thu 24/8) (Castellón ???) - (Valencia ???)
Stage 7 (Fri 25/8) (Valencia ???) - Cuenca
Stage 8 (Sat 26/8) Hellín - (Xorret de Catí ???) (MTF)
Stage 9 (Sun 27/8) Orihuela - Cumbre del Sol (MTF)
Stage 10 (Mon 28/8) (???) - Caravaca de la Cruz
Rest day (Tue 29/8)
Stage 11 (Wed 30/8) Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (MTF)
Stage 12 (Thu 31/8) (Motril ?) - Antequera
Stage 13 (Fri 1/9) Coín - ( ??? )
Stage 14 (Sat 2/9) La Pandera (MTF)
Stage 15 (Sun 3/9) (Calar Alto ???) (MTF)
Rest day (Mon 4/9)
Stage 16 (Tue 5/9) Los Arcos - Logroño (ITT)
Stage 17 (Wed 6/9) Villadiego - Los Machucos (MTF)
Stage 18 (Thu 7/9) Suances - Sto Toribio (HTF)
Stage 19 (Fri 8/9) (???) - Angliru (MTF)
Stage 20 (Sat 9/9) (???) - Gijón
Stage 21 (Sun 19/9) Madrid


Nevertheless there are a few strange things that might signal some changes:
* The transfer from Cuenca to Hellín is 220kms. I wouldn't be surprised if they get from Tarragona to Cuenca in just two stages and insert a stage between Cuenca and the departure from Hellín.
* If MTFs in Andalucía other than Sierra Nevada go on the weekend the race course will make a weird loop. An alternative would be to start after the rest day with the stage to Antequera and do la Pandera, Sierra Nevada and Calar Alto in that order starting on Friday
* The stage finish in Gijón was announced to be after Angliru. Gijón is close to Asturias airport and transfer be much easier than from Angliru. But we know Guillén likes having a decisive stage on the last Saturday. Maybe we get something like the stage posted by Libertine, maybe they switch order and repeat the mess of Angliru evacuation in 2013.

 

[Red Rick]

It's gonna be a nightmare Angliru evacuation. I guarantee it.

 

[Kyllingen86]

Overall I think it looks very promising.

Small complaints must be that the rumoured IRAM/Pico Veleta seems scrathced and that we have to do with Sierra Nevada. Not everyday that I complain about a MTF at 2500 m level.

Another could be the sequence of Angliru, Machucos and Sto Toribio. I would have preferred Angliru before the two others.

Sierra Nevada, Calar Alto, Sierra Pandera, Andorra, Angliru... Spiced up with new climbs such as Machucos the mountainstages look so promising. Mountain stages with downhill finishes - aside from Antequera are there any?

I would really like if Nairo Quintana would do the Giro and the Vuelta and just skip the Tour 2017 - He wont win with that route anyway. This years route was tailormade for him but failed big time.

 

[TromleTromle]

Re:

Overall I think it looks very promising.

Small complaints must be that the rumoured IRAM/Pico Veleta seems scrathced and that we have to do with Sierra Nevada. Not everyday that I complain about a MTF at 2500 m level.

Another could be the sequence of Angliru, Machucos and Sto Toribio. I would have preferred Angliru before the two others.

Sierra Nevada, Calar Alto, Sierra Pandera, Andorra, Angliru... Spiced up with new climbs such as Machucos the mountainstages look so promising. Mountain stages with downhill finishes - aside from Antequera are there any?

I would really like if Nairo Quintana would do the Giro and the Vuelta and just skip the Tour 2017 - He wont win with that route anyway. This years route was tailormade for him but failed big time.

Anything on the Andorra stage ?
Big difference between giving us a Envalira downhill finish vs a Envalira-Ordino-Beixalis-Gallina --> downhill/arinsal finish.

But still puzzled about doing the Andorra show on stage 3.... hmmm...

 

[ice&fire]

Re: Re:

Overall I think it looks very promising.

Small complaints must be that the rumoured IRAM/Pico Veleta seems scrathced and that we have to do with Sierra Nevada. Not everyday that I complain about a MTF at 2500 m level.

Another could be the sequence of Angliru, Machucos and Sto Toribio. I would have preferred Angliru before the two others.

Sierra Nevada, Calar Alto, Sierra Pandera, Andorra, Angliru... Spiced up with new climbs such as Machucos the mountainstages look so promising. Mountain stages with downhill finishes - aside from Antequera are there any?

I would really like if Nairo Quintana would do the Giro and the Vuelta and just skip the Tour 2017 - He wont win with that route anyway. This years route was tailormade for him but failed big time.

Anything on the Andorra stage ?
Big difference between giving us a Envalira downhill finish vs a Envalira-Ordino-Beixalis-Gallina --> downhill/arinsal finish.

But still puzzled about doing the Andorra show on stage 3.... hmmm...

Guillén will do his best not to kill GC in stage 3. That includes the option of entering to Spain through Puigcerdà and to Andorra from La Seu d'Urgel. That way they can do an easy MTF and the mandatory Cat 1 climb to enter Andorra from France will be far away from the finish.

 

[ice&fire]

Diari d'Andorra has just corrected me
http://www.diariandorra.ad/noticies/esports/2016/12/15/final_etapa_sorpresa_110214_1128.html

The stage finish won't be placed at the top of a climb to avoid damage to GC. Full text is restricted to subscribers. Perhaps we get a downhill finish after la Comella.

 

[ice&fire]

The province of Castellón will host stage 5 and the departure of stage 6. Details of host towns are yet unknown.
http://www.elperiodicomediterraneo.com/noticias/deportes/castellon-disfrutara-dos-dias-proxima-vuelta_1039669.html

If Andorra doesn't host a MTF I wouldn't rule out one in Castellón. Waiting to stage 5 for the first uphill finish would be unprecedented for Guillén.

 

[ice&fire]

Cantabrian stages will be short and explosive.
http://www.eldiariomontanes.es/deportes/ciclismo/vuelta-espana/201612/30/cantabria-juez-vuelta-20161229231224.html

The stage to los Machucos will depart from Espinosa de los Monteros and will go through Estacas de Trueba, Braguía, Caracol, Alisas and los Machucos in 120 kms. Only the flat between Caracol and Alisas spoils the stage design.
https://fotos.subefotos.com/f75e54c6690694403a086942fce38931o.png
This means that the announced departure from Villadiego would be a different stage that only fits if they drop a stage elsewhere in the last week. I can only guess that Gijón will not be a stage finish but the stage departure to Angliru.

The stage to Santo Toribio will include Ozalba and La Hoz, but not Carmona.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Diari d'Andorra has just corrected me
http://www.diariandorra.ad/noticies/esports/2016/12/15/final_etapa_sorpresa_110214_1128.html

The stage finish won't be placed at the top of a climb to avoid damage to GC. Full text is restricted to subscribers. Perhaps we get a downhill finish after la Comella.

Thank god, no early mtf. That would cause these annoying timegaps. Ugh

 

[yaco]

With so many GC riders doing 2 GT's in 2017, The Vuelta could have the deepest GC field of all the Gt's.

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

The town of Tarragona is confirmed as stage 4 finish
http://www.diaridetarragona.com/deportes/78143/tarragona-ultima-la-llegada-de-una-etapa-de-la-vuelta-2017

Xorret de Catí and Cumbres del Sol confirmed, but the dates are reversed with respect to a previous announcement confirming Cumbres del Sol on Sunday.
http://www.diarioinformacion.com/deportes/2017/01/03/xorret-cati-cumbres-sol-muros/1845229.html
There are rumours about a stage linking the province Castellón to Cuenca of around 220kms. This would move the finish in Cuenca to Thursday. Even if that is the case and then they go from Cuenca to the province of Albacete on Friday, the logical order would be Catí on Saturday and Cumbres del Sol on Sunday. The reverse order would require two transfers of more than 200kms in consecutive days. The link above does not quote any source from local or regional authorities. I wouldn't be surprised if the author has just copied and pasted from unofficial sources on the internet without double checking.

Stage 1 (Sat 19/8) Nimes TTT
Stage 2 (Sun 20/8) Nimes - (Occitanie ??)
Stage 3 (Mon 21/8) (Roussillon ??) - Andorra
Stage 4 (Tue 22/8) (Andorra ?) - Tarragona
Stage 5 (Wed 23/8) Province of Castellón (HTF???)
Stage 6 (Thu 24/8) (Castellón ???) - (Valencia ???)
Stage 7 (Fri 25/8) (Valencia ???) - Cuenca
Stage 8 (Sat 26/8) Hellín - Xorret de Catí (MTF)
Stage 9 (Sun 27/8) Orihuela - Cumbres del Sol (MTF)
Stage 10 (Mon 28/8) (???) - Caravaca de la Cruz
Rest day (Tue 29/8)
Stage 11 (Wed 30/8) Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (MTF)
Stage 12 (Thu 31/8) (Motril ?) - Antequera
Stage 13 (Fri 1/9) Coín - ( ??? )
Stage 14 (Sat 2/9) La Pandera (MTF)
Stage 15 (Sun 3/9) (Calar Alto ???) (MTF)
Rest day (Mon 4/9)
Stage 16 (Tue 5/9) Los Arcos - Logroño (ITT)
Stage 17 (Wed 6/9) Villadiego - (???)
Stage 18 (Thu 7/9) Espinosa de los Monteros - Los Machucos (MTF)
Stage 19 (Fri 8/9) Suances - Sto Toribio (HTF)
Stage 20 (Sat 9/9) (Gijón???) - Angliru (MTF)
Stage 21 (Sun 19/9) Madrid

Unkwnowns:
* Cuenca might be stage 6 instead of 7
* The second week is pure guess. Sierra Nevada confirmed on Wednesday makes for a weird loop to have mountain stages on the weekend before the 2nd rest day
* There's a stage departing from Villadiego to somewhere not known. This is incompatible to the announced stage finish in Gijón. Either the stage to los Machucos departs from Villadiego instead of Espinosa de los Monteros, or they drop the finish in Gijón. Villadiego - Los Machucos would be more than 180 kms instead of the announced 120 kms from Espinosa de los Monteros.
* Intermediate climbs of mountain stages are unknown. It's unknown if there will be a mountain stage like Andorra 2015 or Aubisque 2016.

 

[ice&fire]

First rest day will be on Monday 28/8
Stage 10 will finish at Alhama de Murcia on Tuesday 29/8
http://www.laopiniondemurcia.es/deportes/2017/01/04/factoria-elpozo-alhama-estrenara-final/795091.html
Will we get a descent finish after Collado Bermejo?
Stage 11 will depart from Lorca and will finish at an unknown location in Almería (Calar Alto???). This means no Sierra Nevada on Wednesday.
The link above also states that the order of the stages in Alicante will be Xorret de Catí on Saturday and Cumbre del Sol on Sunday.
I expect a change of dates or even a major reshuffle of what we know about the second week. Anything between stages 12 and 15 is pure guess based on the assumption that Unipublic will place MTFs in the weekend before the second rest day.

Stage 1 (Sat 19/8) Nimes TTT
Stage 2 (Sun 20/8) Nimes - (Occitanie ??)
Stage 3 (Mon 21/8) (Roussillon ??) - Andorra
Stage 4 (Tue 22/8) (Andorra ?) - Tarragona
Stage 5 (Wed 23/8) Province of Castellón (HTF???)
Stage 6 (Thu 24/8) (Castellón ???) - (Valencia ???)
Stage 7 (Fri 25/8) (Valencia ???) - Cuenca
Stage 8 (Sat 26/8) Hellín - Xorret de Catí (MTF)
Stage 9 (Sun 27/8) Orihuela - Cumbre del Sol (MTF)
Rest day (Mon 28/8)
Stage 10 (Tue 29/8) Caravaca de la Cruz - Alhama de Murcia
Stage 11 (Wed 30/8) Lorca - (Calar Alto???) (MTF)
Stage 12 (Thu 31/8) (Motril ?) - Antequera
Stage 13 (Fri 1/9) Coín - ( ??? )
Stage 14 (Sat 2/9) La Pandera (MTF)
Stage 15 (Sun 3/9) Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (MTF)
Rest day (Mon 4/9)
Stage 16 (Tue 5/9) Los Arcos - Logroño (ITT)
Stage 17 (Wed 6/9) Villadiego - (???)
Stage 18 (Thu 7/9) Espinosa de los Monteros - Los Machucos (MTF)
Stage 19 (Fri 8/9) Suances - Sto Toribio (HTF)
Stage 20 (Sat 9/9) (Gijón???) - Angliru (MTF)
Stage 21 (Sun 19/9) Madrid

 

[ice&fire]

Acording to a local radio station Lorca - Calar Alto will be the stage on Wednesday 30/8.
http://www.cadena-azul.com/lorca-sede-la-vuelta-espana/

There are no details of the major climbs in the stage, but based on the distance from departure to finish we can only expect either Velefique + Calar Alto or maybe twice Calar Alto using different sides.

 

[ice&fire]

This French site states that Gruissan will host stage 2 finish. Looks like there's a good chance for a show in the wind.
https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/cyclisme/malgre-un-depart-de-nimes-le-tour-d-espagne-evitera-perpignan-1483526497
The site also gives two options for the route to Andorra: Fenouillèdes or Cerdagne. Looking at the map the first option would mean Envalira from Ax-les-Termes preceded by either Chioula, Pradel or Pailhères (not very likely I'd say). The second option would have Mont-Louis and then either they enter Andorra from Spain or go through Puymorens-Envalira.