Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2023, stage 3: Súria - Arinsal, 158.5k

[Devil's Elbow]

I was sorely tempted to put a 1 instead of a 3 in the title.

But anyway, the first MTF! Hopefully this is where the race starts to make up for the disaster of a Gran Salida.

The riders have moved to the northern part of Barcelona province overnight, for a start in the fairly nondescript salt mining town of Súria. There is quite a bit of uncategorised climbing in the first 40 kilometres, normally good terrain for a strong break to get away but now it's probably too early for that.

After the descent up the latter climb, it's a long trek up the Segre and Valira valleys into Andorra. The first point of note here is an intermediate sprint in the capital, Andorra la Vella. Immediately after this, the road starts to rise in earnest as the riders make for the second-highest point of the race (yes, really), Coll d'Ordino.

The descent is fairly wide and shallow and overall not that technical. It backs almost directly into the MTF, which is the final 9.3k of the profile below. This MTF debuts in the Vuelta, making it the eighth different Andorran climb on which a Vuelta stage has finished. The Volta a Catalunya has been here in 2005 and 2007, though.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

It‘s headwind time, boys, get hyped!

 

[Izzyeviel]

Theres rumours going around that the sprinters team want the GC neutralised at 10km.

 

[roundabout]

Weather looks iffy, but I would say not unraceable so I am hoping for the first GC test over the full stage route

 

[Red Rick]

Why even bother posting the Ordino profile

 

[Devil's Elbow]

It‘s headwind time, boys, get hyped!

A headwind or a 2023 Giro 'headwind'?

 

[QueenStagiaire]

A headwind or a 2023 Giro 'headwind'?

Why not both?

 

[SHAD0W93]

Vinge to finish 30 seconds ahead of Roglic sparking more controversy and theories.

 

[Bonimenier]

Vinge to finish 30 seconds ahead of Roglic sparking more controversy and theories.

If Roglic gets dropped on the early slopes of the Ordino, people will be flabbergasted when Vingegaard doesn't wait for him.

 

[Eeslliw]

Vinge to finish 30 seconds ahead of Roglic sparking more controversy and theories.

And Jonas will finish 30 seconds behind Remco, which will spark discussion by how much of a margin would have Remco won this years Tour.

 

[Volderke]

The stage seems dry so we'll have a race.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Marc Soler from the break.

Or the GC group.

 

[Red Rick]

A headwind or a 2023 Giro 'headwind'?

People still think they did 4.6 W/kg for 15 minutes on Gran Sasso with normal wind?

 

[Netserk]

Cyclingcols has Arinsal a bit steeper for what it's worth.

 

[hfer07]

Remco to complain yet again about something because he wasn't able to win the stage

 

[Didinho]

That downhill looks dangerous, just from watching the profile. Neutralize it!

 

[Volderke]

That downhill looks dangerous, just from watching the profile. Neutralize it!

The downhill to Ordino looks fairly easy. Here is the profile of that downhill:

Streetview in one of the hairpins

So it's a 2-lane road for most of the climb, and not overly steep / technical.

This is probably the most tricky curve as it goes inwards just before the hairpin. There is a small memorial for a british amateur racer who crashed and died in that curve.

Richard James Taylor Memorial · Coll d'Ordino, AD300, Andorra

★★★★★ · Gedenkpark

goo.gl

 

[Samu Cuenca]

That downhill looks dangerous, just from watching the profile. Neutralize it!

You're talking about the one that comes after the first 500 m, right?

 

[Didinho]

You're talking about the one that comes after the first 500 m, right?

Yes offcourse! Too close/dangerous to the finish!

 

[Riek s]

So no rain, no snow, no ice. So for now we are safe to consider they finish on the mountain right?

This stage will give us a good indication of where Jonas is and if it was really worth it for Roglic to loose 20seconds. (which will become a topic if jonas drops)

 

[zlev11]

no rain but will there be snowmelt on the road? i heard it snowed up there yesterday. could be too dangerous. someone get adam hansen on it.

 

[Red Rick]

Honestly Arinsal is probably a near perfect climb for this stage of the race. That said it does look like a block headwind all day tomorrow

 

[dgodave]

Stage to start 8pm local time, right?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Stage to start 8pm local time, right?

Reckon we will start around 1 pm, then have a nice demonstration set up by Adam Hansen for a couple of hours into Jumbo riders waving EF off the front into neutralized descent. So 8-9 pm finishing time seems aight into the GC riders criticizing Guillén for darkness at the finish line and having to descend Arinsal without lights.

 

[tobydawq]

Reckon we will start around 1 pm, then have a nice demonstration set up by Adam Hansen for a couple of hours into Jumbo riders waving EF off the front into neutralized descent. So 8-9 pm finishing time seems aight into the GC riders criticizing Guillén for darkness at the finish line and having to descend Arinsal without lights.

Don't forget they will finish in a whole different country, so there will likely be border controls to further delay proceedings.