Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2024, stage 11: Padrón - Padrón, 166.4k

[Devil's Elbow]

The better of the two back-to-back mid-mountain stages. Sure, the climbs don't chain together as well, but the gradients and the proximity of the final climb to the finish line more than make up for it. While the break is favoured once more, I do expect the GC riders to spring into action towards the end this time.

Now that map isn't very clear, so let me walk you through the route. We start and finish in the town of Padrón, not in the centre but on its outskirts, at the headquarters of the aluminium and PVC processing company Cortizo. The first lap is the longest, heading out west over some uncategorised climbs, then looping back over the first KOM at Puerto de San Xusto and through O Sisto (where there will be an intermediate sprint later on) before the first passage of the finish. On the second lap, the riders strike northwest for the steep slopes of Puerto Aguasantas, then rejoining the route of the first lap for the descent shared by both KOMs. This second lap is done almost twice, however on the second time around, just after the intermediate sprint in O Sisto, the riders head away from the finish and onto the final lap, with some rolling terrain before the tricky final climb up Puerto Cruxeiras and the (reasonably straightforward) descent back into Padrón.

Or a TL;DR: big red lap, blue lap, blue lap again, small red lap.

And the climb profiles:

Alto de Bexo

Alto do Confurco

Puerto San Xusto

Puerto Aguasantas (x2)

Puerto Cruxeiras

 

[SHAD0W93]

With WVA’s win today, Roglic’s victory is all but guaranteed on this stage.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Marc Soler

 

[Valv.Piti]

WVA

O'Connor to drop 20-30 secs

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Aluminios Cortizo are the main sponsor of the CC Padronés, one of the longest-running and best-established Spanish amateur teams, running since the 50s and sponsored by Aluninios Cortizo since the mid-80s. Marcos Serrano is the main manager there these days, and riders like Jesús Blanco Villar, 90s Kelme veteran José Ángel Vidal, and late 2000s Xacobeo climbing specialist Ezequiel Mosquera have come through the team, while Burgos-BH have picked up a few of their most interesting young riders from Aluminios Cortizo too, like Éric Fagúndez and Sérgio Chumil.

 

[Sciatic]

That profile of the final climb is pretty funny—the yellow graphic shows an even, steady state climb, but the individual sections range from 3.6% to over 17%

 

[Escarabajo]

Muritos Galore!

 

[search]

That profile of the final climb is pretty funny—the yellow graphic shows an even, steady state climb, but the individual sections range from 3.6% to over 17%

there's one with more colors on climbfinder as well

Puerto Cruxeiras / Lampai from Sobrerribas - Profile of the ascent

Puerto Cruxeiras / Lampai from Sobrerribas is a climb in the region Galicia. It is 3km long and bridges 265 vertical meters with an average gradient of 8.9%, re

climbfinder.com

 

[Gigs_98]

This should be a gc stage and it should suit Roglic very well. The finale reminds me of the Giro stage where he dropped Remco

 

[Red Rick]

20 kph block headwind predicted on final climb.

Ugh

 

[red_flanders]

I dunno. Looking at the series of stages immediately following this one... I kinda wonder if the GC guys won't chill again.

Unless someone is obviously in trouble.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I dunno. Looking at the series of stages immediately following this one... I kinda wonder if the GC guys won't chill again.

Unless someone is obviously in trouble.

Well, for Stage 12 and especially 14 I find it hard to see any meaningful time gaps happening because these climbs are under 5% on average and the final two kilometers of 12 at just over 7% are actually the steepest part of them. Also, the GC guys are four minutes behind. They can‘t just sit there twiddling their thumbs, O‘Connor most likely won‘t blow up out of nowhere.

 

[red_flanders]

Well, for Stage 12 and especially 14 I find it hard to see any meaningful time gaps happening because these climbs are under 5% on average and the final two kilometers of 12 at just over 7% are actually the steepest part of them. Also, the GC guys are four minutes behind. They can‘t just sit there twiddling their thumbs, O‘Connor most likely won‘t blow up out of nowhere.

Ya, 14 in particular doesn't look like that much. Fair point about them being behind. Just thinking it's a lot of MTF in a row. Was just thinking that Roglič has already had a not-so-great day, wondering if he might ride more conservatively than we expect tomorrow.

I wonder how they're all calculating it. There are potentially a LOT of minutes on 13, 15, and 16. Plus 19 and 20 are brutal.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Roglic needs to go all in tomorrow. He is stellar in this type of stage and O'Connor is not good specially with a descent there.

 

[dazaau]

Roglic needs to go all in tomorrow. He is stellar in this type of stage and O'Connor is not good specially with a descent there.

Agree the steep punchy climb suits Roglic, but O'Connor can descend well can't he? Roglic is a fast descent except for when he is in the floor, so there is some risk there.

 

[movingtarget]

Tailor made Roglic stage it seems. With the short final descent I expect him or someone like Carapaz to go for it. Another one for the break probably.

 

[scribers]

I think the 1 minute loss by BOC to roglic was payment for the break effort two days prior. He will be able to stay with roglic tomorrow. The following days? Not as sure

 

[Rob5091]

Composition of the break will be telling - apparently top 10 guys tried yesterday (stage 10) but were chased down, so a repeat on stage 11? AG2R would like that but guys down on GC will now doubt try, later if not sooner on the stage. Maybe a standard Vuelta break of a couple of Spanish guys followed by a later chase by GC hopefulls.

 

[Miha81]

I hope for some GC action but am affraid that they will take it easy as series of tough stages follows until the end of the week.

 

[Earns1985]

I wonder, how good Carapaz will be from now on.

His performance on stage 9 (attacking at the first climb and finish still two minutes ahead of the GC group) was impressive.

At stage 4 and stage 8 he always tried to stay with Roglic for as long as possible, but blew up in the end and lost then more time and he lost more time, than if he had driven a little more conservatively. I think same as O`Connor, he should not try to follow every acceleration, but should therefore try to gain time on the longer climbs..

 

[Earns1985]

Today no TV coverage from the start?

 

[Rob5091]

Rumour has it Del Toro has the Covid - ESPN source, reported on at
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...e-for-covid-19-but-remains-at-vuelta-a-espana

and
https://www.wielerflits.be/nieuws/v...-positief-op-corona-maar-blijft-wel-in-koers/

edit add - TV from 14.30 CET today, start 13.44 CET so we'll miss the first hour as there is always a lot of talk etc before live pics.

 

[Rob5091]

Intermarché-Wanty's Rota a DNS because of knee pain -
https://www.wielerflits.be/nieuws/v...pt-lorenzo-rota-intermarche-wanty-tot-opgave/

 

[scribers]

Rumour has it Del Toro has the Covid - ESPN source, reported on at
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...e-for-covid-19-but-remains-at-vuelta-a-espana

and
https://www.wielerflits.be/nieuws/v...-positief-op-corona-maar-blijft-wel-in-koers/

edit add - TV from 14.30 CET today, start 13.44 CET so we'll miss the first hour as there is always a lot of talk etc before live pics.

This would make sense and too bad. Covid just keeps robbing us of riders potential

 

[ppanther92]

I hope for some GC action today or at least 1-2 other riders creeping up the standings in a break. But lets see. Rather would say it plays out similarly to yesterday with GC riders saving legs for tomorrow's MTF.