Vuelta a España 2021 route rumours

[ice&fire]

It was known since last year that the Vuelta 2021 would start in Burgos to celebrate the 800 years of the construction of its cathedral. According ot the rumours there would be three stages in the province of Burgos, one of them likely to be a MTF. Flip a coin to chose between the two MTFs that feature in the Vuelta a Burgos.

The news from today is that the first stage will be an 8km ITT with the start ramp inside the cathedral and going over the castle hill also used in the Vuelta a Burgos.

Does Jesus love cycling?

Meanwhile Proudhomme is wondering WTF has Guillén done!

La Vuelta 2021 arrancará dentro de la Catedral de Burgos

Javier Guillen, director de La Vuelta, ha confirmado que la ronda española del 2021 saldrá desde la nave central de la Catedral de Burgos, donde se instalará una rampa. La seo de B

www.marca.com

 

[Red Rick]

Has to get Covadonga right?

 

[Descender]

Has to get Covadonga right?

Why?

Rumour is that the first MTF will be Picón Blanco. Very similar climb to the Moncalvillo one from the other day.

Guillén also said that they'll try to go to other regions that they didn't go to this year. There's been some talk of Malaga province, maybe something like this. Maybe also Calar Alto or Sierra Nevada. Surely not Haza del Lino, because let's just ignore that great climb that is right next to Granada and has five (!) asphalted sides.

 

[Ricco']

The news from today is that the first stage will be an 8km ITT with the start ramp inside the cathedral and going over the castle hill also used in the Vuelta a Burgos.
[/URL]

If it happened a few years ago it would be an easy win for Jesús Hernandez

 

[Red Rick]

Why?

Rumour is that the first MTF will be Picón Blanco. Very similar climb to the Moncalvillo one from the other day.

Guillén also said that they'll try to go to other regions that they didn't go to this year. There's been some talk of Malaga province. Maybe also Calar Alto or Sierra Nevada. Surely not Haza del Lino, because let's just ignore that great climb that is right next to Granada and has five (!) asphalted sides.

Honestly it's like Alpe d'Huez I sort of blindly assume it's in every other year.

 

[Descender]

Honestly it's like Alpe d'Huez I sort of blindly assume it's in every other year.

What, just because it's been climbed in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018?

 

[Red Rick]

What, just because it's been climbed in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018?

You're right. We need more data

 

[Billie]

Hopefully a stage finish in Murcia to honour the don.

 

[Descender]

Hopefully a stage finish in Murcia to honour the don.

I personally liked this one.

 

[Koronin]

Hopefully a stage finish in Murcia to honour the don.

Agreed. Hopefully they'll have one stage in Murcia with a finish somewhere in or city the capitol city of Murcia to honor Alejandro. In a perfect world you finish a Sunday stage in/near the city of Murcia, rest day Monday and start the Tuesday stage from the center of the city. That way it would give them extra time if they want it to do a special presentation for him at the podium ceremony.

 

[Ulle97]

It was known since last year that the Vuelta 2021 would start in Burgos to celebrate the 800 years of the construction of its cathedral. According ot the rumours there would be three stages in the province of Burgos, one of them likely to be a MTF. Flip a coin to chose between the two MTFs that feature in the Vuelta a Burgos.

The news from today is that the first stage will be an 8km ITT with the start ramp inside the cathedral and going over the castle hill also used in the Vuelta a Burgos.

Does Jesus love cycling?

Meanwhile Proudhomme is wondering WTF has Guillén done!

La Vuelta 2021 arrancará dentro de la Catedral de Burgos

Javier Guillen, director de La Vuelta, ha confirmado que la ronda española del 2021 saldrá desde la nave central de la Catedral de Burgos, donde se instalará una rampa. La seo de B

www.marca.com

Will the opening stage finish inside the cathedral too if they do a loop circuit?

 

[Red Rick]

If they start in a cathedral does that mean every day they'll stray further from God?

 

[ice&fire]

Will the opening stage finish inside the cathedral too if they do a loop circuit?

They'll do a lap around the cloister.

 

[jnormanroach]

They'll do a lap around the cloister.

Maybe we can turn the interior into some kind of cyclocross obstacle course?

 

[titan31]

Since starting in Burgos, I'd love if they did Ermita de Alba again. Maybe a repeat of the same route they did in 2015.

Might be too early to do a stage that hard in the Vuelta but if they did it on stage 4/5 it might work. If they're doing Murcia aswell, I'll assume the intent is to from Burgos to Basque area and then down the coast before going up to Madrid

 

[Descender]

Galician press reports rumors of 3-4 stages in Galicia next year with the Vuelta finishing in Santiago de Compostela like in 2014, rather than in Madrid.

In 2014 they did two hilly stages on Thursday and Friday, then they finished on Puerto de Ancares on Saturday, climbing it through its hardest side. Contador won the stage.

Ancares is a mountain pass with four different sides, but I'm afraid we'll see another finish at the top if it's climbed next year. Plenty of other options in Galicia as well, of course.

 

[Red Rick]

Galician press reports rumors of 3-4 stages in Galicia next year with the Vuelta finishing in Santiago de Compostela like in 2014, rather than in Madrid.

In 2014 they did two hilly stages on Thursday and Friday, then they finished on Puerto de Ancares on Saturday, climbing it through its hardest side. Contador won the stage.

Ancares is a mountain pass with four different sides, but I'm afraid we'll see another finish at the top if it's climbed next year. Plenty of other options in Galicia as well, of course.

Ancares is a great climb, but not like this.

 

[Descender]

Ancares is a great climb, but not like this.

What I would do:

 

[Red Rick]

What I would do:

Yeah I was impressed with Ancares last time around and hand't realised it had a much steeper side. I'd like to see this instead of Folgueiras but I guess that's not possible

 

[Descender]

Yeah I was impressed with Ancares last time around and hand't realised it had a much steeper side. I'd like to see this instead of Folgueiras but I guess that's not possible

It's certainly possible, but the descent would have to be asphalted. If Unipublic wanted it, the Galician region and the town council(s) would certainly asphalt the road in a heartbeat. It would make for a monster 1+2 combo, though Folgueiras de Aigas + Ancares is already very hard.

 

[Forever The Best]

@Red Rick Ancares was climbed from the hardest side in 2014. Also, Pelliceira needs to be asphalted to be used as a pass. I had a write up about it in the Gravel Climbs thread, more info here: https://apmforo.mforos.com/401631/10895076-pelliceira-colada-reina-de-ancares/

I would love to see Ancares used as a pass.

 

[Red Rick]

@Red Rick Ancares was climbed from the hardest side in 2014. Also, Pelliceira needs to be asphalted to be used as a pass. I had a write up about it in the Gravel Climbs thread, more info here: https://apmforo.mforos.com/401631/10895076-pelliceira-colada-reina-de-ancares/

I would love to see Ancares used as a pass.

But with @Descender's stage finnish

 

[Descender]

But with @Descender's stage finnish

That's the tricky bit, though. The problem with my finish, and the reason why I'm skeptical that we'll see it happen, is that the stage would finish in León, not in Galicia. And since Galicia will be paying for the stage, they'd probably want the finish to be in Galicia.

One solution to that is finishing at the top of Ancares, which marks the border. But that's just meh.

I'd prefer an alternative: take a right turn 2km from the top of Ancares (see profile above, crossroads to "Suárbol") and descend through here (from > Balouta at km 2), and finish in Piornedo (km 10) or all the way down in Navia de Suarna.

It's the same thing we did after climbing Ancares (until Cruz de Cespedosa, 2km from summit) the first time, only that the first time we climbed through Balouta, the second-hardest side:

It would look like this:

 

[Libertine Seguros]

To tell the truth I'd be happy if they just did the Albergue de Ancáres finish that PRC suggested (and I used in my 5th Vuelta in the Race Design Thread), with Cruz de Cespedosa only instead of the pass.

Hell, I'd settle for them climbing to Cruz de Cespedosa via Pan do Zarco then descending the 2011 side and reclimbing Pan do Zarco, making it a bit like doing the Coll de La Rabassa before Naturlandia in 2008, or the traditional Vuelta a Burgos route climbing Pasil de Rozavientos on the shoulder of the Lagunas de Neila before a second ascent going all the way to the lakes. Doing the Pan do Zarco side twice would at least give multiple platforms for attacking, and a profile that's not too dissimilar from the Ermita de Alba stage a few years back, only with Sierra Morela being tougher than Cordal north and the final climb being a bit longer.

 

[ice&fire]

2021 is a Jacobean year, so it makes sense that Galicia breaks the bank to host the Vuelta finish.
Any rumour of the final stage entering Santiago's Cathedral?