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Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2022, stage 19: Talavera de la Reina - Talavera de la Reina, 138.3 km

Stage 19, and it's one of the oddest GT stage designs I can remember. It consists of two laps of a ~60-kilometre circuit over the Alto del Piélago which is left in the final kilometres to finish in the centre of town. On paper it should be one for the break, but neither a GC ambush stage nor a (heavily) reduced bunch sprint can be ruled out here - indeed, an attempt at the former could lead to the latter.

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Puerto del Piélago:
PielagoSE.gif


Final kilometres:
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No Pogacar, no GC action of any kind.

At this point, Stage 20 is where the action will be...but I could see Almeida give it a shot at getting 1-2 minutes back tomorrow and other GC teams will have to decide if they let go or work and maybe not be as sharp on Saturday.

Interesting breakaway conundrum. Those who showed their faces today will rest tomorrow and wait for Saturday. To win from the break tomorrow you need to be a very good climber and a good reduced-bunch sprinter...Valverde? Contador did it...can he? I bet $1 on The Don.
 
No Pogacar, no GC action of any kind.

At this point, Stage 20 is where the action will be...but I could see Almeida give it a shot at getting 1-2 minutes back tomorrow and other GC teams will have to decide if they let go or work and maybe not be as sharp on Saturday.

Interesting breakaway conundrum. Those who showed their faces today will rest tomorrow and wait for Saturday. To win from the break tomorrow you need to be a very good climber and a good reduced-bunch sprinter...Valverde? Contador did it...can he? I bet $1 on The Don.
It may be that he will be more invested in looking out for Mas than seeking his own exploits. But it would be great to see him give it a go :)
 
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