• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Vuelta a España 2021 route rumours

Page 2 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
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.

Hmm that's a 19km loop. Very risky, don't you think?

The second climb up Pan do Zarco would indeed be very similar to Ermita de Alba. Roughly 7km at 10%.

@Descender I can't see your stages, due to Imgur being banned(?)( sometimes it is, sometimes not ) in Turkey.

On another note, I would love to see a finish of the Vuelta in Ponferrada with Ancares as the last chance saloon. Something like this: https://www.la-flamme-rouge.eu/maps/viewtrack/90304

Hmm I don't think I used only imgur but another page as well. Do you have a suggestion what I could use to upload the pictures?

That's a good stage. Finishing in Ponferrada like in 2011 when Ancares was first climbed would be great as a last high mountain stage. Otherwise Ancares is too far from the finish, in today's cycling we know what that means...

Also there's the problem that cycling is a taboo topic in Ponferrada ever since the World Championships there in 2014... there was a scandal of misappropiation of funds.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
I have about three or four completed Vueltas for the Race Design Thread, and one of them is built around a finish in this neck of the woods, although as Descender mentions, Ponferrada is a bit of a hot topic because it has been one of Spain's most cycling supportive areas for many years, but since the 2014 Worlds has been a bit loath to support it - although the Vuelta a Castilla y León was there in 2017 so all is not lost.

The closing sequence in that race was (after stages 14 and 15 being Asturian stages (14 a mountain stage and 15 being intermediate), and 16 and 17 being in Galicia):
  • stage 18: MTF at Ancáres
  • stage 19: circuit race on Ponferrada Worlds course
  • stage 20: Ponferrada - Bembibre (Alto Redondal) which needs some new tarmac but used to be used back in the 90s in Castilla y León. This was going to be a very difficult mountain stage where the MTF is super steep but there are platforms to attack throughout, with Pedregueira as warmup, then the double dose of ESP mountains with Fonte da Cova and Portillinos, then descending back toward Ponferrada, turning north toward Bembibre and then up the 9km @ 9% Redondal. Three different ESP mountains with three different sets of characteristics - but with Ancáres and a major Asturian mountain preceding to ensure that gaps are formed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Hmm that's a 19km loop. Very risky, don't you think?

The second climb up Pan do Zarco would indeed be very similar to Ermita de Alba. Roughly 7km at 10%.



Hmm I don't think I used only imgur but another page as well. Do you have a suggestion what I could use to upload the pictures?

That's a good stage. Finishing in Ponferrada like in 2011 when Ancares was first climbed would be great as a last high mountain stage. Otherwise Ancares is too far from the finish, in today's cycling we know what that means...

Also there's the problem that cycling is a taboo topic in Ponferrada ever since the World Championships there in 2014... there was a scandal of misappropiation of funds.
Actually using proxy I was able to see them. Your stages are great too. Interesting to see a finish in Navia de Suarna after almost 40 kms of bumpy terrain, never considered it. Would be even better if Pelliceira gets paved and we have Pelliceira-Ancares combo with still 40 km of racing after the top of Ancares.
I want to see Pelliceira being asphalted.

And yes, using Ancares as a finish in Ponferrada would only be useful as the last mountain stage, because modern cycling is too passive.

On another note, coming from Ponferrada, I would also like climbing Ancares from Candin, which would be this:
AncaresE.gif


Then descending from the Balouta side and using Pan do Zarco side, till Cruz de Cespedosa. ( the part between the 2 Balouta intersections )
AncaresNW.gif


It would be 5 km @%12 and 7 km @%9-10 or so, in quick succession and you can either finish at Cruz de Cespedosa, or go to Albergue de Ancares like Libertine proposes.

And with climbing Portillinos before ( and even Fonte da Cova ) it would be a tough mountain stage. Don't have great internet at the moment so can't design in Cronoescalada.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Actually using proxy I was able to see them. Your stages are great too. Interesting to see a finish in Navia de Suarna after almost 40 kms of bumpy terrain, never considered it. Would be even better if Pelliceira gets paved and we have Pelliceira-Ancares combo with still 40 km of racing after the top of Ancares.
I want to see Pelliceira being asphalted.

And yes, using Ancares as a finish in Ponferrada would only be useful as the last mountain stage, because modern cycling is too passive.

On another note, coming from Ponferrada, I would also like climbing Ancares from Candin, which would be this:
AncaresE.gif


Then descending from the Balouta side and using Pan do Zarco side, till Cruz de Cespedosa. ( the part between the 2 Balouta intersections )
AncaresNW.gif


It would be 5 km @%12 and 7 km @%9-10 or so, in quick succession and you can either finish at Cruz de Cespedosa, or go to Albergue de Ancares like Libertine proposes.

And with climbing Portillinos before ( and even Fonte da Cova ) it would be a tough mountain stage. Don't have great internet at the moment so can't design in Cronoescalada.

Something like this (let me know if you can't see it):

dzgv4nr2.jpg
 
I know that Koronin has a very deep and intimate relationship with a Valverde shaped pillow but on a more serious note maybe Vuelta could pass via Murcia if they want to reach Malaga eastwards. I know that next year it would be 10 years after the 2011 Lorca earthquake. Say, have a finish in the capital after a lap or two of Cresta del Gallo and then depart from Lorca towards Almeria (Calar Alto finish?). Then you could do a dedicated Sierra Nevada stage, a tricky Malagian stage with Puerto del Leon/Almachar and then transfer towards Madrid or have a transitional stage to Cordoba for a shorter transfer.
 
According to the link below Guillén confirms stages in Andalucía and Galicia and two stage finishes in Extremadura. One in Don Benito (that would be a flat one) and a second one in a well known climb in the region. They also drop the regular rumour about going to the Canary Islands in a few years :D

The climb in question has two interesting sides:

From the N:
picovilluercas65.gif


From the SE:
Villuercas.gif


Will they do the climb from the N and descent to the SE to the UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe for just another godly stage?

This link from last May announces a finish at Guadalupe:

This one from September is so poorly written that I can't get what it says. The headline names the peak and the text says that there will be a stage finish next year at Guadalupe but the inclusion of the climb is uncertain and could be postponed one or two years.
 
From Asturias regional TV today:
Possible MTFs at Covadonga and Cuitu Negru. From the text I understand they are in the bidding phase.


I have no idea how they plan to fit this with the current rumours of a mostly Southern parcourse:
  • Departure with three stages at Burgos
  • First week stages from Burgos to Valencia and Alicante. Rumours point to Garbí in Valencia (the short nasty climb thye did in 2017 where Contador attacked and was only followed by Froome, TJVG and bananito) and Sierra de Bernia in Alicante (5km@12% MTF that Pogačar won last year in Comunidad Valenciana)
  • Several stages in Andalucía, with mountain stages in Almería and Málaga, but not in Granada.
  • Two stages in Extremadura, including a mountain stage in Guadalupe.
  • Finish with several stages in Galicia

I can see the first week finish in Alicante, the second week including Andalucía and Extremadura and the third week including Asturias and Galicia. But that means mountain stages in Andalucia and Asturias not at weekends, which looks a bit odd.
But this is all rumours, so what do I know?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan and Breh
This update from Asturias regional TV confirms Covadonga and says that the second MTF may be a new one. Then it talks about Gamoniteiro, the lack of space at the summit and Cuitu Negru as the alternative solution that the Vuelta is considering.

There's the Gamoniteiro but no Gamoniteiro we all love every year.

Cuitu Negru would be cool and it's surprised me a lot we haven't seen it since 2012.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: ice&fire

TRENDING THREADS