Re: Re:
Red Rick said:
ice&fire said:
León will watch the Vuelta from a close distance:
http://www.diariodeleon.es/noticias/deportes/leon-mirara-cerca-vuelta_1294427.html
This confirms that León won't have either a stage departure or finish, and they mention La Cubilla as the closest they'll get to the race. The summits of both La Cubilla and Ancares are at the boundary of the province of León and this more or less suggests no Ancares in 2019.
Like Ancares the summit of La Cubilla has also been subject of provincial boundary disputes. The pastures on the southwest side of the climb are part of the province of León but are owned by the Council of the Asturian town of Mieres. They built a house and a pen used as a shelter for shepherds and cattle. More recently it was reconverted as a gathering point for mountain hikers and they paved the road from the summit down to it. Then the house became a bar, the neighbours of the nearby village of San Emiliano sued that the bar was operating without license and got it closed. On top of this the province of León is still adamant that they won't pave the 5 km missing of the southwest side of the climb.
With this background there are a few asking whether the finish line will be at the summit or somewhere below. The thought of having the stage finish at the last village at the road, 9 km before the summit is a real fear.
It's always the bars
No last 9km means nothingburger finish.
OlavEH said:
Not good news. Without Ancares and probably an easy-ish finish in Andorra, the rumoured route is really, really mediocre.
Actually, I could see a way that this could potentiall be really good. I mean, I doubt Unipublic will go for it, in fact I'm certain they won't, but this could well work.
After the Collao Espina MTF at Los Machucos, they then have a transitional stage from Cantabria somewhere to Oviedo. This is fine, hopefully going something like all along the coast then coming inland via Pandenes from Villaviciosa (long and fairly gradual) or San Martín de Huerces or Fumarea after Cruz del Peón, with a rolling run-in; or through the valley roads past Cangas de Onis, Infiesto and Pola de Siero to include some smaller climbs like Falla de los Lobos and El Carbayu before entering Oviedo via the traditional, easy Manzaneda climb. A stage for the break but with a potential banana skin, and a good Worlds tune-up.
Then, a stage to Santuário del Acebo. This should hopefully see a tough climb or two before climbing one of the as-yet-unused super-steep sides of the climb. You know Guillén will love this, and it would be well positioned to make up for not having Ancares. Ideally going along the coast and introducing La Marta mid-stage, but if not I'll settle for Bustellán, then climbing from Tebongo to Villanueva San Cristobál (first 10,5km of
this side of Acebo), descending the traditional Vuelta a Asturias side into Cangas del Narcea and then climbing one of the crazy steep sides, such as Castro de Limes (
8km @ 9,5%) or Villarino de Limes (
6,8km @ 11%), which will almost certainly create gaps. I'd like to see this be a tough one but am not expecting too much before the final climbs.
Then, here comes your short stage, from Cangas del Narcea to Tuiza de Arriba, the nothing finish on the way to the Puerto de La Cubilla (actually you turn off in Tuiza de Abajo and continue for another kilometre or so, but there's a decent-sized car park in Tuiza de Arriba that could host the race). Personal choice: go over Las Estacas (Collado Muro), San Lorenzo, Cobertoria west, but then instead of descending Cobertoria east, go over the Cuchu Puercu crest road, descend Cordal (plenty safe enough, they did it in the Vuelta a couple of years ago in the Ermita de Alba stage) and then loop around climbing Cuchu Puercu from Pola de Lena, repeating the descent and then the finish on a
shallowish but not too shallow ascent. The last kilometre would average 10,2% so could create gaps but the rest of the final climb wouldn't be steep enough to truly be decisive, thus bringing forward the need for action on the 7,8km @ 9,6%
Cuchu Puercu (aka Espines de Foz).