Vuelta a Espana organizers Unipublic have made a definitive decision: their race is not one for sprinters, time triallists or classics riders, it's one for the climbers. Having been praised for their 2012 route with its 10 uphill finishes, the course designers took it a further notch in 2013 by putting together a race containing no less than 11 of those difficult finales. With 9 summit finishes in 2014 and 8 in this year’s editions, they have scaled down the mountainous terrain a bit and with the inclusion of a flat time trial and fewer excessively steep climbs, the course seems to be more balanced than it has been for years. Nonetheless, the climbers lick their lips in anticipation of a race that suits them well while the big sprinters have all given the Vuelta and its many mountains a wide berth. Having attracted a host of the world's best climbers, the Spanish grand tour is set to offer a spectacular end to this year's grand tour season.

  

During the final part of Angelo Zomegnan's reign as race director, the Giro d'Italia became famously known for its extremely tough courses, excessively steep climbs and many mountain stages. Since Michele Acquarone took over the reins prior to the 2012 edition, the race has made a public campaign to attract more stars by making the race more rider-friendly and less tough.

 

While the Italians are in a process of defining more balanced courses with an appeal to a broader spectrum of riders, Vuelta a Espana organizers Unipublic have taken a completely different path. Gone are the days with long, flat stages along the Spanish motorways. The new rule is that every stage should offer some kind of spectacle and more often than not contain a difficult climb in the end. Automatically, that leads to a harder course with more mountainous terrain than any of their fellow grand tours have offered during the recent two seasons.

 

Few believed it to be possible to design a route with 10 uphill finishes but that was what Unipublic did for the 2012 season. They faced plenty of criticism from riders, most notably the sprinters who mostly decided to avoid the Spanish grand tour, and many observers believed that the extreme number of uphill finishes would make it impossible to keep the race exciting all the way to the end.

 

Those pundits were proved wrong as the race developed into a close three-man battle between Alberto Contador, Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez, with those three riders finishing inside 1.37 of each other. Constant attacks, a late change in race leadership and surprises dominated the three weeks of racing in what was described as one of the best Vueltas for years.

 

In 2013 the organizers took it a further notch when they included an extra summit finish and again the GC came down to the wire. Going into the penultimate stage which finished atop the mighty Angliru, Chris Horner led Vincenzo Nibali by just 3 seconds and despite the many previous summit finishes, the overall victory came down to the very final kilometres of the final climb.

 

With two big spectacles in 2012 and 2013, it is no wonder that Unipublic has tried to repeat the success and they have done nothing to hide that their race is for climbers and not for sprinters. While the race has had lots of mountaintop finishes, it has usually only had a single time trial of around 40km at the midpoint of the race and it has often been held on a very hilly course that suited the climbers just as much as the specialists. In addition to the opening team time trial, that has been the only element for the time triallists who like the sprinters have found little ground to excel in the Spanish grand tour.

 

However, the organizers have changed their approach slightly for the two latest editions of the race. Last year they only offered 9 uphill finishes for the climbers and the time trial was flatter than usual. For the 2015 edition, they have followed the same part by reducing the number of summit finishes to 8th and for the first time since 2011 the time trial doesn’t include a single climb and is tailor-made for the big specialists. This means that the course is clearly the most balanced than it has been for quite a while.

 

At the same time, the race has scaled down the use of excessively steep climbs with 20% gradients. This year only stage 16 includes a summit finish on such a wall and the climbing seems to be a lot more moderate than it has been in the past. However, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be room for the climbers to make a difference as the final climbs of stages 11, 15 and 16 are steeper than the climbs that host finishes in the Tour de France.

 

The Spanish geography is a lot more diverse than the French and so the Vuelta is a lot more innovative than the Tour de France and – to a certain extent – the Giro. Those two grand tours have lots of legendary climbs than feature on the course regularly but the Vuelta doesn’t have the same number of mythical climbs. This means that they often find new climbs to use as summit finishes and this year they have taken it to a new level as none of the uphill finishes have ever been used in previous editions of the Spanish grand tour.

 

Another special feature of the Vuelta is the fact that it has often had a hard mountain stage very early in the race and there have been hard climbs throughout the entire race. This year the GC riders will have to bide their time a little longer and they don’t have to be at 100% of their capabilities right from the beginning. Even though there are stages for puncheurs early in the race, the first big summit finish comes in stage 7 and it is even a relatively easy one. The first week is a tricky one with the Andalusian heat, an opening team time trial and short, punchy climbs at the end of the stages but with only long finishing climb that is not very steep, it is possible to get through the first part without being at 100%.

 

For a few years, the organizers have decided to have one of its hardest summit finishes on the penultimate day to keep things exciting right until the end. In 2012, Bola del Mundo featured as a major challenge at this late point while Alto del Angliru was the decider in 2013. Last year Puerto del Ancares was the scene of an exciting battle between Alberto Contador and Chris Froome. Nonetheless, the organizers have decided to change the script and like in 2011 there will be no summit finishes in the final week of the race. There’s still a tough mountain stage in the Madrid mountains on the penultimate day but history shows that it is hard to create major differences on the well-known climbs.

 

Instead, the climbers have to make the difference in the second week which is simply brutal. In recent years, the organizers have introduced a tradition of having three consecutive mountain stages in the penultimate weekend and this has often been the key point in the race. This trend will continue in 2015 as stages 14, 15 and 16 offer three tough days in the Asturian mountains, with the hardest stage coming right at the end. Those three stages will be the final big chance for the climbers to do some damage but before they get there they will have an even better opportunity. The short 138km stage 11 in Andorra has been partly designed by Joaquim Rodriguez who has described it as the hardest grand tour stage he has even seen. With almost 5000m of climb in such a short stage, it is evident that there are no flat roads on what is clearly the queen stage of the race. Coming right after the first rest day, it will kick off a brutal second week that is tailor-made for climbers.

 

However, they need to take their chances in this phase. This year the time trial comes in the third week and with no summit finishes in that part of the race, the time triallists will have the upper hand in the end. Furthermore, the TT in Burgos is the first flat race against the clock since 2011 and on the windy Burgos plains, the climbers will suffer. In 2010, Joaquim Rodriguez famously lost more than six minutes in a similar test and there is no doubt that the stage has been a major drawcard for Chris Froome who finally gets the chance to benefit from his TT prowess after he was left frustrated in the Tour.

  

While the climbers will excel, the sprinters have mostly decided to skip the Spanish grand tour. Only a few stages seem to suit the pure sprinters and so it is no surprise that riders like Mark Cavendish, André Greipel and Marcel Kittel are among the riders to follow a different schedule. For more versatile riders, however, the race is loaded with opportunities and the first week contains several stages for sprinters that also excel in the classics. It is now wonder that Peter Sagan, John Degenkolb and Nacer Bouhanni will all be on the start line in a race where they could win lots of stages. For the pure sprinters, only stages 3, 5 12 and 21 will offer them a chance to shine and some of them may even be a bit too hard. Instead, there will be lots of room to shine for the attackers as the moderately hilly third week is tailor-made for breakaways.

 

Below we give an analysis of each of the race's 21 stages to find out where the race will be decided, where the sprinters will come into action and where the potential pitfalls are hidden.

 

Stage 1, Saturday August 22: Puerto Banus – Marbella, 7.4km TTT

While the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France have had a mix of opening stages, with the Tour varying between prologues and road stages and the Giro using team time trials, prologues and road stages, the Vuelta a Espana seems to stick the format of kicking off their race with a team time trial. For the sixth year in a row, the Spanish grand tour will kick off with the collective discipline that is a perfect way to present the teams and their line-ups for the audience. The race last started with a prologue in 2009 when Fabian Cancellara won the opening time trial and the race hasn’t started with a road stage since 2007 when Daniele Bennati won a bunch sprint.

 

While they prefer to kick off their race with a team time trial, the Vuelta organizers usually try to make the opening stage rather short and it rarely has a big impact on the final general classification. It seems that the intention is to have a mostly ceremonial opening that is not intended to play a major role in the outcome of the race. In 2013 they slightly deviated from this pattern as the opening stage in Galicia was longer than usual but last year, the race kicked off with a very short 12.6km team time trial that created minimal differences. This year the trend is even more evident as the opening team time trial will be more of a team prologue over the distance of just 7.4km.

 

During the last few years, the race has mostly visited the same regions, with Andalucia and Galicia being especially keen on welcoming the race. The former region hosted the start of the race in both 2010 and 2014 and this year they have again managed to attract the big start of their national tour. This year it is the city of Marbella that will send the riders off as they will travel from the spectacular Puerto Banus to the tourist city on the Mediterranean coast.

 

The opening Vuelta team time trials have often been pretty technical but that’s definitely not the case for the 2015 opener. In fact, the course is made up of a completely flat run along the coastal road.  The riders will depart from Puerto Banus, one of the most emblematic places in the Spanish coastline, and then take afew turns before they get onto the long road that leads to the finish. While there won’t be any technical challenges, the seafront promenade is narrow, so the public will be very close to the riders and this could turn out to be a difficulty for the riders on what is otherwise a very straightforward course.

 

Time differences between the best teams in short team time trials are usually very small and on this very short course, it will be a matter of seconds. First and foremost, the stage is important from a psychological point of view as it is preferable to kick off the race on the right footing but with many mountains to come, the time differences won’t play much of a role. The terrain suits the really powerful riders and with very few turns on the course, it should be all about having big engines who can keep the pace high. However, over such a short distance, just a small mistake can cost the victory and this could open the door for an outsider. Very often the technical opening team time trials in the Vuelta have had some strange outcomes but this course is less likely to provide us with a surprise first leader.

 

In 2010, HTC-Highroad won the opening team time trial to put Mark Cavendish in the red leader’s jersey. In 2011, Leopard-Trek emerged as the strongest while Movistar was the fastest team in 2012. In Astana won the technical opening stage and Janez Brajkovic benefited from the win to become the first leader of the race. Last year it was again Movistar who came out on top on a short, technical course in Andalusia and like in 2012 it was Jonathan Castroviejo who was given the honour of crossing the line first.

 

 

 

 

Stage 2, Sunday August 23: Alhaurin de la Torre – Caminito del Rey, 158.7km

It has become a bit of a tradition that the first road stage of the Giro and the Tour is for the sprinters. Sometimes the puncheurs have been given their chance but the first road stage is never one for the GC riders.

 

The Vuelta has always been different. The Spanish geography means that it is possible to find tough climbs in almost every part of the country and very often the organizers have preferred to have a first uphill finish very early in the race to create an initial selection and create less stress in the bunch. In 2013, the riders already tackled a summit finish on the Alto Do Monte Groba on the second day of the race and one year earlier it was the famous Arrate climb in the Basque Country that made the first selection already on the third day.

 

This year the first summit finish comes on the second day, meaning that the sprinters will have to wait a bit longer to get their chance to shine. It is hard to describe the category 3 climb to Caminito del Rey as a big mountain that will create big differences but it will require the GC riders to be on their toes right from the beginning. Time gaps will occur in this finale and with bonus seconds on offer it will allow the punchy climbers to gain time already on their first real day of racing.

 

At just 158.7km, it is a typically short Vuelta stage that brings the riders from Alhaurin de la Torre to Caminito del Rey. The starting city is close to the sea and from there the riders head east along typically lumpy Spanish roads that have no major climbs. After 30km of racing, they will turn north to approach the finishing city in a slightly hillier part of the country. However, the roads are still flat.

 

At the 52km mark, the riders get to the city of Zlea where they will start a lap of a 46km circuit. It is a mainly flat route that brings the riders along rolling roads. They will pass close by the finishing city before they reach the northernmost point of the course. Here they will turn around to head back south ad encounter their first climbing in this year’s race. The category 3 Alto de Ardales (5km, 4.4%) will offer the first KOM points 45.7km from the finish and then the riders will descend to the starting point of the circuit.

 

The riders will now do the first part of the circuit again and will contest the intermediate sprint in Alora with 19.7km to go. However, with 4.7km to go, they will leave the circuit to head to the finish in Caminito del Rey. The finish line comes at the top of a category 3 climb that is 4.7km long and averages 6.6%. The numbers are deceptive as the start is relatively easy but with 3.5km to go, the gradients reach double-digit number for more than a kilometre. The final 1500m are easier, averaging around 5%.

 

There will be nowhere to hide already on the first real day of racing as the final climb will give a first indication of how everyone is going. The steep section at the midpoint has the potential to do some damage and there is no doubt that some of the overall contenders will lose a few seconds in this kind of finale. However, it is not a day for true climbers and for most of the favourites it will be all about staying with the best. For puncheurs like Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez it is a perfect chance to score some bonus seconds and get their race off to a flying start. It will be too hard for the sprinters but an in-form Peter Sagan can do well here if he can survive the steep part. As the stage is relatively easy and comes early in the race, it is likely to be firmly controlled by Movistar, Katusha and maybe Tinkoff-Saxo, meaning that it should all come down to an uphill sprint where the GC riders and puncheurs will go head to head.

 

Caminito del Rey has not hosted the finish of a major bike race in recent years.

 

 

 

 

Stage 3, Monday August 24: Mijas – Malaga, 158.4km

In the last few years, the Vuelta organizers have significantly reduced the number of sprint finishes and nowadays the fast finishers don’t have many opportunities in the last grand tour of the season. This has prompted many of the sprinters to skip the Spanish grand tour which has given more room for young sprinters who are brave enough to spend three weeks on the Iberian Peninsula and there is no doubt that the sprint field in Spain is less stacked than the one we saw in both the Tour and the Giro.

 

The Vuelta is now loaded with summit finishes and the stages with flat finales are often pretty hilly with a climb located near the finish. However, the race always has at least a few completely flat stages and after two days of patience, the sprinters will get their chance in one of them on the third day of the race.  It’s a little earlier than last year when the first sprint stage came on the second day but a lot earlier than in 2013 when stage 5 offered them their first chance to shine.

 

The stage is another short one as it brings the riders over just 158.4km from Mijas to the tourist city of Malaga. For the start, the riders are back at the Mediterranean coast and from there they will head north in the hilly terrain that will provide a stern test in the first part of the race. The category 3 Alto de Mijas (6km, 7.2%) is a tough challenge already after 14km of racing but it is followed by a descending and flat part that leads the riders to the east and back to the coast where they will reach Malaga after 57.8km of racing.

 

Instead of going straight to the finish, the organizers want to test the sprinters. They will head back into the hills to go up the first category 1 climb of the race, Purto del Leon (16km, 5.2%). It is a relatively regular climb with gradients between 5% and 7% before the riders reach a short 15% section at the 10% mark. Then there’s another steeper section before it levels out near the top. The summit is located 82.4km from the finish and is followed by a rolling part before the riders get to the real descent that leads to the city of Benamargosa.

 

The final 53.7km are completely flat and first lead back to the coast with 37.4km where the intermediate sprint is located. From there the riders will follow the coastal road back to Malaga. However, instead of following the flat road all the way to the finish, the riders will head inlands to go a up a few small climb with around 10km to go. Then they will take a fast descent before they get to the final 5km which are completely flat.

 

There may not be many sprinters on the start line but those that are present can’t afford to let this opportunity slip away. With the tough uphill finish in stage 2, the leader’s jersey is probably out of reach for them so the main goal will be to get a stage win. That will be very important as it could be the only chance in the first half of the race as the rest of the flat stages all have either a tough climb close to the finish or some kind of uphill finale. However, the stage contains a significant amount of climbing that will tire out the sprinters. The category 1 climb comes too early to make a major difference but it can be used to take the sting out of the legs of the pure sprinters. Furthermore, the late climb can create a surprise and may send some of the fast finishers out the back door before we get to the finish.

 

At this early point of a grand tour, there is no chance that an early break will create a surprise in this kind of stage and we can expect Cofidis, Giant-Alpecin and IAM to control things firmly. However,, the coastal region can be pretty windy and unlike the Giro which has rarely been impacted by the wind, the Vuelta has often been the scene of some crosswinds action. For the GC riders, it can be a very nervous day as the finale takes place along the coast and even though the Vuelta is generally a lot less stressful than the Tour, the main contenders can expect to get their race off to a pretty hectic start.

 

Malaga last hosted a stage finish in 2010 when they finished on a short steep climb in the city and this allowed Philippe Gilbert to ride himself into the red jersey by winning the stage. In 2006, Team CSC won the opening team time trial to put Carlos Sastre into the leader’s jersey and in 2004 it was Alessandro Petacchi who won a bunch sprint. Mario Cipollini won another bunch kick in 2002 while Alex Zülle was the fastest in the opening time trial in 2000. Furthermore, Malaga has often hosted stages of the Vuelta a Andalucia, most recently in 2010 when Alex Rasmussen won a short, flat time trial in the city.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 4, Tuesday August 25: Estepona – Vejer de la Frontera, 209.6km

In recent years, the Vuelta organizers have not had many stages of more than 200km but this year they have made the stages a bit longer than usual. Already on the fourth day, the riders will tackle the first stage of more than 200km when they tackle 209.6 relatively flat kilometres in the coastal area near last year’s starting city of Jerez de la Frontera. For most of the day, it is a course tailor-made for sprinters but as usual, there is a nasty sting in the tail that will take out most of the fast finishers and make it a perfect day for the puncheurs that have plenty of room to shine in the first half of the stage.

 

The course brings the riders over 209.6km from the coastal city of Estepona to Vejer de la Frontera a little further west. The distance between the start and finish is relatively short but instead of following the direct road, the riders will spend a long day on the windy plains close to the Mediterranean Sea.

 

The first 33.5km consist of a flat run along the coast until the riders get to the city of San Roque where they will head inland. That will make the roads slightly lumpier but there are no major challenges on the mostly flat roads. After 141km of flat racing, they get to the coastal city of Puerto Real where they will cross a bridge to get to the spectacular city of Cadiz. Another bridge will lead back to the mainland where they will contest the intermediate sprint with 35.6km to go. From here, the riders will follow flat roads close to the coast that lead to the finishing city.

 

There are no categorized climbs on the menu but the stage has a nasty sting in its tail. With 4km to go, the riders hit the bottom of a 1km climb that averages around 12%. After the top, the road is slightly ascending for another kilometre and then it’s a slight descent until the riders get to the final 500m that are uphill at around 6%.

 

Spanish roadbooks are not always very accurate but if the final climb is as steep as indicated, the finale will be a tough one. Most of the sprinters will have no chance to survive this kind of challenge but Peter Sagan will be licking his lips in anticipation of a stage that suits him down to the ground. The climb may be too steep to suit him perfectly but he will have time to recover for the uphill sprint which is a lot less steep. John Degenkolb and Nacer Bouhanni also want to test themselves in this finale but if the puncheurs go full gas, they may be left behind on the climb. However, the big selection may have been made before we even get to the finish as most of the race takes place along the coast and this will make it a very nervous day if there is just the slightest amount of threatening wind. Last year the wind split things to pieces in this area and so the GC riders will have to be on their toes both during the long flat day and in the tricky finale where small time gaps can appear behind the puncheurs that are likely to fight for the win. With lots of those riders on the start line, a break will have little chance of success this early in the race.

 

Vejer de la Frontera has not hosted a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

Stage 5, Wednesday August 26: Rota – Alcala de Guadaira, 167.3km

There is a chance that some of the sprinters have had a nasty surprise in the finale of stage 3 so they will be pleased to know that they will get another chance before the race heads into hillier terrain for the final part of the first week. Stage 5 is one of the flattest of the entire race and as the next completely flat finale comes in stage 12, it will be important for the fast riders to grab this chance before they head into a week of survival. However, the wind is an ever-present danger in this part of the country that is also likely to be plagued by brutal heat and in the finale there is an uphill finishing straight that will favour the stronger guys.

 

The stage is another relatively short one that brings the riders over 167.3km from Rota to Alcala de Guadaira. The starting city is located on the coast and the first part of the stage is made up of coastal roads before the riders head inlands to approach the Jerez de la Frontera which hosted the start 12 months ago. The riders get to that city after 46.5km of racing and then most of the final part of the race is made up of a long northerly run along completely flat roads.

 

The northerly journey ends when the riders reach the city of Sevilla where they will contest the intermediate sprint with 18.1km to go. Here they will turn around to head in a southeasterly for a few kilometres before they take a 90-degree turn to approach the finish. Throughout the entire stage, the roads are flat. There is a very small climb with 10km to go and then it is slightly descending until the riders get to the final 800m that are uphill at around 5%.

 

This is the final chance for the sprinters in the first week of the race so there is no chance that a breakaway will manage to create a surprise. This will be firmly controlled by IAM, Cofidis and Giant-Alpecin who will have marked this stage out as one of their big goals. However, it will be no stress-free ride as the flat roads in this area can be windy and we could see another crosswinds drama like we saw a few times in last year’s race. In the end, it will definitely come down to some kind of sprint though and the uphill finishing straight means that it is more for riders like Degenkolb, Bouhanni and Sagan than for pure sprinters like Pelucchi.

 

Alcala de Guadaira has not hosted a stage finish of a major bike race for more than a decade. It hosted the start of stage 2 in 2010 when Yauheni Hutarovich surprisingly beat Mark Cavendish in a bunch sprint in Marbella.

 

 

 

 

Stage 6, Thursday August 27: Cordoba – Sierra de Cazorla, 200.3km

The Vuelta is usually the grand tour that is most suited to puncheurs who have plenty of room to shine in a race that is usually loaded with finishes on short, steep climbs. This year it is no different but the many uphill finishes are slightly different from what we have seen in the past. This year there are no excessive gradients on brutal walls and instead the uphill finishes are open to a wider range of riders. One of those uphill sprints comes on the sixth day when the riders will tackle a stage that is very similar to the first road stage.

 

At 200.3km, it is another long Vuelta stage that brings the riders from the city of Cordoba to the uphill finish in Sierra de Cazorla. After five days spent in the same tiny area, it is time to head east and approach the province of Murcia. Hence, the stage is a typical transitional stage that brings the riders in an easterly direction all day. The roads are slightly lumpy with a few smaller climbs but there are no major climbs along the way.

 

After 132.7km of flat racing, the riders will get a chance to warm up their climbing legs when they hit the category 3 Alto de Baeza (11.8km, 3.9%) which is a typical Spanish uphill drag that never gets very steep. The summit is located 55.8km from the finish and is followed by a mostly downhill section. It ends with 20km to go and from there it is slightly uphill all the way to the finish. As usual, the intermediate sprint comes late in the race with 14.8km to go.

 

Just before the start of the final climb, there is a short descent and then the final 3.3km are all uphill with an average gradient of 6.4%. However, the category 3 climb is a very irregular as the first kilometre averages almost 10%. Then penultimate kilometre is almost flat and then the road ramps up at the flamme rouge where the gradients reach double-digit numbers until it levels out with 300m to go.

 

This is another great opportunity for the puncheurs but it is hard to gauge which riders will have a chance on the final climb which is a very irregular affair with steep sections and room for recovery. At the same time, it comes after a week of hard racing in what is likely to have been very hot conditions and comes just one day before the first major summit finish in the race. Even though it is a great stage for the likes of Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez and offers important bonus seconds, they may prefer to save their energy and teams for later challenges. This could open the door for a breakaway and with time gaps likely to be relatively small, the red jersey could even come into play. The finale is probably too steep for the likes of Sagan and Degenkolb so unless one of the Ardennes specialists decide to go for it, we may not get an uphill sprint for the win. In any case, it will be important for the GC riders to be attentive in the finale as there will definitely be splits in the final kilometre where important seconds can be lost and the flat first part has the potential to be the scene of some crosswinds action.

 

Sierra de Czorla has not hosted a finish of a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

Stage 7, Friday August 28: Jodar – La Alpujarra, 191.1km

The first part of the race has included several uphill finishes but it is stage 7 that presents the riders with the first big mountaintop finish. This year the first big challenge comes a bit later than it has done in recent years and after a week of defending themselves in hectic finales, looking for opportunities in the crosswinds and going for bonus seconds, it is finally time to find out who has the climbing legs to go for the overall win in a summit finish that has never been used before in the Spanish race.

 

The stage brings the riders over 191.1km from Jodar to La Alpujarra and is the final one to be held in Andalucia. With a mostly flat course, it is not a big climbing day and the first part of the race is made up of a long southerly run along typically lumpy Spanish roads with no major climbs. After 77km of, the riders will the riders will turn to the southwest where they will get the chance to warm up their climbing legs on the category 3 Puerto de los Blancares (9km, 3.3%) which is a typical Spanish uphill drag.

 

The next part of the course is mainly descending as the riders again head south before turning to the east to approach the final climb. They will get the chance to sprint for points and seconds in the intermediate sprint with 31.5km to go before they continue along descending roads to the bottom of the final climb.

 

The category 1 ascent of Alto de Capileira is 18.7km long and averages just 5.1%. However, the numbers are deceptive as there is a flat section of 5km from the 5th to the 10th kilometre. The first part is not very hard as the gradient stays between 3% and 8.5% and then the real climb starts with 8.7% to go. The gradient stays between 5% and 8% for most of the time but there is a steep section of 14% in the penultimate kilometre before the road levels out with 6% for the final kilometre.

 

The first big mountain test is always a nervous affair as it is the first chance for the riders to find out what they can really hope for in this race. That’s even more evident in the Vuelta where fatigue plays a big role and the outcome of the first mountain stage is usually a lot less predictable than it is in the first two major tours. However, the first big mountaintop finish is unlikely to produce any major answers as the final climb is pretty easy and it is not a day to create big differences. There’s a chance to do some damage on the steep section near the top but it could be a day more for fast riders like Valverde and Rodriguez than for pure climbers. The first mountain stage is usually one for the favourites and there is a big chance that Sky, Katusha, Movistar or Astana will control things firmly. On the other hand, the relatively easy final climb could open the door for a breakaway as the key teams will be keen to save energy for greater battles later in the race.

 

Alto de la Capileira has never been used in the Vuelta before and not has not hosted a finish of a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 8, Saturday August 29: Puebla de Don Fadrique – Murcia, 182.5km

After seven days in Andalucia, it is time to leave the province and head to Alejandro Valverde’s home city of Murcia. The city has regularly hosted a stage finish and it seems that the organizers have found a format that the organizers have found a preferred formula for the finale. Like in previous editions of this stage, the race will be decided on a circuit that includes the category 3 Alto de la Cresta del Gallo which has always created some exciting racing.

 

The stage brings the riders over 182.5km from Puebla de Don Fabrique to Murcia. The starting city is located in the area close to yesterday’s finish at high altitude and so the first 111km are almost all descending as the riders continue their easterly journey. The start takes place at 1230m of altitude and the riders reach the city of Acrhena at 115m above sea level just after they have passed the 100km mark.

 

From there, the riders will continue in a southeasterly direction along flat roads to the city of Murcia which they will reach after 133km of racing where they will contest the intermediate sprint a bit earlier than usual. The they will travel to the southern outskirts of the city where they will hit an 18.7km circuit with the category 3 Alto de la Cresta del Gallo (4.4km, 7.2%). The circuit is made up of the climb, its descent and a short flat section. First they will do a full lap of the circuit and they will reach the top for the first time with 36km to go. Then they will do almost another full lap to crest the summit for a second time just 17.3km from the finish. The descent is very tricky and can be used to create differences. Having finished the descent, they will head along completely flat roads back to the finish in Murcia.

 

The Alto de la Cresta del Gallo is a pretty hard climb that will take most of the sprinters out of contention. However, it is definitely surmountable for riders like Degenkolb, Bouhanni and Sagan for whom this stage could be a goal. However, the stage comes after 7 days of hard racing and it may be time to take the foot off the gas and let a break decide the stage. The GC riders hope for an easy day to recover between two summit finishes but they will have to be attentive on the descent where splits can occur and during the flat run-in to the finish where the wind can create gaps.

 

The finale with the Alto del la Cresta del Gallo was used in both 2010 and 2009 but back then they only did the climb once. In 2010, it came down to a reduced bunch sprint where Thor Hushovd beat Daniele Bennati and Grega Bole while a breakaway decided the stage in 2009. Simon Gerrans, Ryder Hesjedal, Jakob Fuglsang and Alexandre Vinokourov dropped their companions on the climb and it was the Australian who took his only Vuelta stage victory in the four-rider sprint. In 2002, there was no late climb and it was Mario Cipollini who came out on top in a bunch sprint while Tomas Konecny took a breakaway win one year earlier. In 1999, Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano won the prologue here.

 

 

 

 

Stage 9, Sunday August 30: Torrevieja – Dumbre del Sol-Benitatxell, 168.3km

After one day to recover, it is back into climbing mode for the GC riders in the final big test of the first part of the race. The Vuelta has always included finishes on very steep walls and despite the 2015 edition holding fewer of those finales, there will be such a challenge on the 9th day of the race. The explosive climb of the Alto de Puig Llorenca will offer the explosive climbers a final chance before the ascents get longer in the second week of the race.

 

The riders have reached the eastern coast of the country and it is time to head the Pyrenees in the north. The 168.3km stage brings the riders from Torrevieja to Dumbre del Sol-Benitatxell and will offer the riders a long day with stunning views along the coast. The first 120km take place entirely on the coastal road as the riders head to the northeast in completely flat terrain.

 

In the city of Moraira, the riders will head inlands to hit the circuit that will host the final part of the stage. It starts when they hit the bottom of the Alto de Puig Llorenca which is also the final climb of the race. This time they won’t go all the way to the top though and so it will only be a category 2 climb (3.3km, 8.9%) this time around. After the descent, the riders will head back into flay terrain for the next part of the circuit and will contest the intermediate sprint in Javea with 13.3km to go.

 

In the second part of the circuit, there is a small climb to warm up the legs before the riders descend to the bottom of the final climb. This time they will go all the way to the top, meaning that it is a 4.1km climb category 1 ascent with an average gradient of 8.9%. It is a typical Spanish wall with deceptive numbers as the first 2km are easy at 5.33%. Then the riders get to a 500m section of 19% before a short flat section leads to the final 1300m during which the gradient hovers around 9-11%.

 

The first week is loaded with opportunities for Joaquim Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde who love this kind of explosive finishes and with its very steep gradients, the final wall is probably the one that suits Rodriguez best. If he is feeling well, he will definitely target this stage and so Katusha will probably control things. However, at this point in a grand tour and with a very hard second week coming up, there is always a chance that a breakaway can make it. The final climb is more for the explosive guys like the two Spaniards than pure climbers like Quintana but don’t rule out a good performance from Chris Froome who has done well in such finales in the past.

 

The final climb has never been used in the Vuelta and not hosted  a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 10, Monday August 31: Valencia – Castellon, 146.6km

This year the first rest day comes unusually late in the Vuelta a Espana as the riders will have done 10 days of racing before they finally get a chance to recover. This means that there will be another day to survive before their day off. Hence, many will be pleased that stage 10 is both short and relatively easy and could be a chance for the strong sprinters to go for glory again or for a breakaway to make it to the finish.

 

At just 146.6km, it is one of the shortest stages of the entire race and it is a typical transitional stage that brings the riders further up the coast towards the Pyrenees in the north. The start takes place in the big city of Valencia while the finish is in Castellon further up the coast but unlike yesterday, the riders won’t follow the coastal road. Instead, they will head inlands where the roads are lumpier and this means that they will tackle the category 3 Puerto del Oronet (6km, 4.4%) whose summit is located after just 29km of racing.

 

After the descent, there’s a slightly ascending section and then another descent that leads to completely flat roads. They will lead the riders through the city of Villareal to the finish in Castellon which they will reach after 102km of racing.

 

If the race had ended here, it would have been a great day for the sprinters but as usual the organizers have decided a difficult finishing circuit. It is 44.6km long and contains the category 2 Alto del Desierto de la Palmas (7.5km, 5.3%). The first part is a flat run along the coast before the riders head inlands to go up the climb whose summit is located 17.1km from the finish. The descent is less steep than the ascent and leads to the final 8km which are completely flat.

 

The GC riders hope for an easy day as they hope to save as much energy as possible for the brutal second week while the pure sprinters know that the stage will be too hard for them. However, the stage looks very good for the strong guys like Sagan, Degenkolb and Bouhanni who can get over the final climb which is not too steep. It won’t be easy for their teams to control things though. Many riders will have marked this stage out as a big opportunity for a breakaway and with an uphill start, a strong group is likely to get clear. In such a short stage, they can’t be given too much leeway and it may be that Giant-Alpecin and Cofidis let them stay away to decide the stage on the final climb. The GC riders have to be attentive on the descent in the finale and in the potentially windy section along the coast.

 

Castellon last hosted  a stage finish in 2004 when Oscar Freire beat Erik Zabel and Stuart O’Grady in a reduced bunch sprint.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday September 1: Rest day, Andorra la Vella

 

Stage 11, Wednesday September 2: Andorra la Vella – Cortals d’Encamp, 138km

When the course for the Vuelta a Espana was announced, one stage got significantly more attention than the rest of the race. Already in November and December, it was announced that the race would return to Andorra and that Joaquim Rodriguez had played a role in designing a big mountain stage in the principality. The Spaniard did nothing to hide that he had put together one he regards as the hardest mountain stage he has ever done in a grand tour and when the full details were announced, it was evident that stage 11 will be the toughest challenge of the entire race. At just 138km, it is very short but with 4950m of climbing over such a short distance, it is evident that the stage will be brutal and it won’t be made any easier by the fact that it comes one day after the first rest day.

 

The 138km stage start in the capital of Andorra la Vella where the riders have spent the rest day and from there it circles it heads straight into the Pyrenees in a sinuous system of circuits that sees the riders tackle no less than 6 climbs over the short distance. Right from the start, they hit start to climb and get to the bottom of the category 1 Collda de Beixalis (6.5km, 8.7%) after just 3.3km of racing. It’s a very steep climb with gradients of 10-14% for most of the time before it levels out near the top. After the descent, it is straight onto the category 1 Coll de Ordino (9,9km, 7.1%) whose summit comes at the 32.3km mark. It is a pretty regular climb with a constant gradient of 6-8%.

 

The descent leads back to Andorra la Vella where the riders prepare themselves for another tough circuit on the southern outskirts of the city and again it includes two climbs. Right from the start, they hit the bottom of the category 1 Coll de la Rabassa (13.8km, 6.7%) which is steep at the bottom with 9-12% gradients and then gradually gets easier and easier until it reaches 4-5% for the final few kilometres. The summit is located at the 72km mark.

 

After the descent, the riders hit the bottom of the famous category 1 Collada de la Gallina (11.7km, 8.6%) which has hosted a stage finish twice in recent years. It is a very tough climb with no room for recovery and gradient that alternate between 8-9% and double-digit gradients, with the steepest section reaching 13%. The summit is located just 39.3km from the finish and is followed by a descent back towards Andorra la Vella. However, the riders won’t pass through the city this time as they will follow another road to go up the category 2 Alto de la Comella (4km, 9.25%).

 

There’s just a short descent back to the main road where the riders started the stage and here they will contest the intermediate sprint 10.2km from the finish and 1500m before they hit the bottom of the category 1 climb Alto Els Cortals d’Encamp which is the final challenge of the day. At just 8.7km, it is pretty short but the average gradient of 9.2% will take its toll. The gradient stay between 9% and 11.6% in the first 4m and then it becomes easier in the second part where it hovers around 7-8%.

 

This is probably the hardest 138km that have been designed for a mountain stage of a grand tour in recent years and the stage has the potential to do some extreme damage. With virtually no flat roads, it can be used to make long-distance attacks and the favourites don’t have to wait until the final climb. However, it is also the first really hard stage of the race and many will be nervous due to the extreme difficulty. Another three big mountain stages are coming up later in the week so it is probably not a day to risk it all. Hence, the main riders will probably wait until the final climb to battle it out but as Astana have cards to play, this could be their day to really put their rivals under pressure with an attack already on the Collada de la Gallina or maybe even earlier in the stage. The race will explode already on the first climb and this could leave many leaders isolated early in the stage. Everybody would love to win this stage but it requires an extremely strong team to control things and only Sky and Astana are capable of that. Hence, a strong breakaway could make it to the finish as the good climbers will ride away right from the start. Meanwhile, the heavy guys fear the time limit and there is a big chance that this will be the final day for some of the riders.

 

The final climb has often been used in the Volta a Catalunya. In 2003, Aitor Kintana beat Michael Rasmussen here while it was Daniele de Paoli who took the win in 2001. One year earlier it was Jose Maria Jimenez who came out on top while Roberto Heras was the fastest in 2010. The Collada de la Gallina hosted a memorable summit finish in 2013 when Daniele Ratto took a surprise win from a breakaway on an extremely cold day that saw many riders abandon due to hypothermia. In 2012, Alejandro Valverde beat Joaquim Rodriguez and Alberto Contador in a sprint on a day when Chris Froome showed the first signs of weakness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 12, Thursday September 3: Escaldes- Engordany – Lleida, 173km

It is testament to the tough nature of the Vuelta that the pure sprinters have had a maximum of two opportunities when we get to the 12th day of the race. The last of those came on stage 5 so for them it has been more than a week of pure suffering before they should finally be in the mix again. The second week has provided them with an incentive to dig deep as there are two potential sprint finishes coming up of which stage 12 to Lleida is the easiest.

 

The stage brings the riders over 173km from Escaldes-Engordany in Andorra to Lleida on the plains in Catalonia. The riders will be pleased to know that they will follow the main road to exit the mountainous principality, meaning that the roads are slightly descending as they head back to Spain in a southwesterly direction. However, the organizers refuse to let them follow the direct road to the finishing city as they will make a small deviation to the west that will see them tackle the category 2 Coll de Boixols (15.8km, 5.1%) whose summit comes at the 54.3km mark. There’s no immediate descent as the riders will tackle another small climb before they finally get to the downhill section.

 

The next 50km are all downhill and then there is another uncategorized ascent with 54.2km to go. From there, there is just a small kicker to break things up along the slightly descending and flat roads that lead to the finish in Lleida. Along the way, they will contest the intermediate sprint with 29.7km to go. In the finale, the roads are very slightly descending until the riders get to the flamme rouge from where it is slightly uphill.

 

This stage is one of the biggest goals of the entire race for the sprinters as it is one of only 2 stages that don’t include a late climb or an ascending finish. Hence, they can’t allow themselves to miss this opportunity and they should make sure that it comes down to a bunch sprint. At this point of a grand tour, a surprise is always a possibility but there should be enough teams to control the race. The climb is a hard one but it comes too early to play a major role and instead it is the wind that could potentially threaten things for the sprinters and the GC riders on what could be another nervous day.

 

Lleida last hosted a stage in 2010 when Mark Cavendish beat Tyler Farrar and teammate Matthew Goss in a bunch sprint. In 2013, it hosted a stage finish of the Volta a Catalunya where Francois Parisien took a surprise victory in an uphill sprint.

 

 

 

 

Stage 13, Friday September 4: Calatayud – Tarazona, 178km

While the Vuelta rarely offers many opportunities for the sprinters, it is usually loaded with tough days of constant ups and downs and long ascents that never get very steep. This has made it a happy hunting ground for the strong sprinters who can survive the strains of a tough day in the saddle and still have something left for a solid punch in the end.

 

One of those stages comes on the 13th day of the race when the riders head towards Asturias and the triptych of mountain stages that are going to decide the race. It brings them over 178km from Calatayud to Tarazona and mainly consists of a northerly run. The start of the stage signals the terrain that will challenge the riders for most of the day as they go straight up a small uncategorized during the first 10km before they reach an easier section that is mainly descending.

 

At the 30km mark, the riders get to the toughest part of the race as the next 40m are almost all uphill, with two categorized climbs coming along the way. The first of those is the category 3 Alto Collado de Oseja (8.2km, 3.7%) which is a typical gradual Spanish uphill drag. The main challenge is the category 1 Alro de Beraton (10.9km, 4.8%) which has a relatively east start of 2-3% before it gradually gets steeper in the second part where the gradient hovers around 6-7%.

 

The summit is located with 106.9km to go and they are a lot easier. The next 50km are almost all descending and then there’s flat section that leads to the intermediate sprint at the 134.8km mark. Just 200m, the riders hit the bottom of the category 3 Alto del Moncayo (8.5km, 4.6%) which is a gradual uphill drag.

 

The top is located 33.5km from the finish and after a short uphill section, they are mainly descending. However, the stage has its usual tricky finale. The road starts to rise slightly with 5km to go and after a short descent, there’s a small little 1500m climb that averages around 3% and leads to the flamme rouge. The final kilometre is flat.

 

This is likely to be the final chance for the sprinters before Madrid so they will be keen to give it a go. However, this is definitely not a flat stage as it is full of ups and downs and lumpy terrain that will make it difficult to control. Many riders will be keen to attack and with the tough start, it won’t be easy to control things. Furthermore, the late climb means that it will be hard for the sprint teams to chase full gas in the finale and this makes it more likely that a breakaway will make it. The GC teams hope that the sprint teams will throw in the towel early and that they will have an easy ride on the eve of the first of the three decisive mountain stages.

 

Tarazona last hosted a stage in 2013 when Fabian Cancellara surprisingly defeated Tony Martin in a hilly time trial that saw Domenico Pozzovivo do the TT of his life by finishing third. Race leader Chris Horner had a bad day and lost a lot of time to Vincenzo Nibali whose fourth place catapulted him into the overall lead.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 14, Saturday September 5: Vitoria – Alto Campoo. Fuente del Chivo, 215km

The Vuelta a Espana organizers have introduced a tradition that sees them host three consecutive mountain stages in the penultimate weekend of the race, very often in the Asturian mountains. This will be the case in 2015 as well and the three days in Asturias form the most important block of racing that will go a long way in determining the overall classification ahead of the final week which is not overly tough. As it is often the case, the first two stages are the easiest while the hardest challenge comes at the end of the trio.

 

Stage 14 is the first of the difficulties. It is not a big day of climbing with constant ascents but it includes two category 1 climbs in the second half and even though the final ascent is not very hard it will be a hard challenge at the end of two weeks of tough racing. At 215km, it is an unusually long affair that brings the riders from Vitoria in the Basque Country to the summit finish on the Alto Campoo in Fuente del Chivo.

 

Massive crowds are likely to send the riders off when they briefly head into the Basque Country for the start of the stage but they won’t be challenged by the may steep climbs that characterize the region. Instead, they will start on the flat plateau around Vitoria-Gasteiz and follow almost completely flat roads as they head to the west. There are a few small kickers along the way before the roads gradually start to ascend, culminating at the top of the category 3 Puerto Estacas de Trueba (11km, 3.0%).

 

The summit is located at the 118km mark and leads to a descent down from the plateau. Then it is straight onto the steep category 1 Puerto del Escudo (11.5km, 6.4%) which leads onto another plateau. The first part of the climb is almost completely flat but then the hostilities start as the gradient stays almost constantly above 10% for 4km before it levels out for the final 1.5km.

 

The summit comes 56.5km from the finish. Having reached the plateau, the riders will tackle flat roads for most of the time, with the intermediate sprint coming 28.7km from the finish. Just a few kilometres later, they hit the bottom of the category 1 Alto Campoo (18km, 5.6%) that leads to the finish. It is a relatively easy climb with a gradient of 4-6% for most of the time, with a few 8% sections along the way. It gets slightly harder in the final 3km when the gradient reaches 6-9%, with the steepest part coming just before the flamme rouge.

 

Apart from the time trial, the final week doesn’t offer many chances to create big differences in the overall standings so these three mountain stages are where the climbers have to make the difference. They definitely have the terrain to do so but the first stage in the triptych is not their best opportunity. The final climb is relatively easy and the main challenge will be its length. The first half won’t create a major selection but luckily it gets tougher in the final part. However, the time gaps will probably be relatively small. With an easy final climb and two tough days coming up, this is not a stage for the GC riders to target so there is a big chance that a breakaway will take the win.

 

The final climb has never been used in the Vuelta before but it has often been used in the hilly Spanish Circuito Montanes. Interestingly, Fabio Duarte won the stage when the finish was last used in 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 15, Sunday September 6: Comillas – Sotres. Cabrales, 175.8km

If the first stage in the decisive triptych of mountain stages failed to do much damage due to a relatively easy finishing climb, there will be a much better chance for the climbers to do some damage in the middle leg. Like the previous stage, stage 15 is not a day of big climbing with multiple big ascents but it finishes at the top of the Alto de Sotres whose final section is very tough and includes some very steep parts.

 

The stage is a typical Asturian mountain stage as most of it takes place in relatively flat terrain along the coast before the riders head into the mountains for the finale. At 175.8km, it is a shorter than the previous stage and brings the riders from the coastal city of Comillas to a mountaintop finish on Alto de Sotres. The first part consists of a completely flat westerly run along the coastal road for 70km until the riders reach the city of Ribadesella. Here they head inlands to go up a small uncategorized climb and descent to another flat section that leads to the bottom of the category 2 Alto del Torno (10.1km, 3.3%). One can easily get fooled by the numbers as the climb includes two descents and so is a lot steeper than the average gradient suggest.

 

The summit comes 60.7km from the finish and from here the riders will descend to the coastal road which they will follow for a few kilometres in the opposite direction compared to earlier in the stage. With 44km to go, they will contest the intermediate sprint and then they will head inland to approach the final climb. First they will go up an uncategorized ascent that summits 28.8km from the finish and then they will descend to the bottom of the category 1 Alto de Sotres. It is 12.7km long and averages 8.0% but like mange Spanish climbs it is highly irregular. The first four kilometres are tough with gradients of 9-11% for most of the time and then there’s a flat section after 6km. The next part is pretty easy but then the hostilities start with 3km to go. A tough section averaging 13.33% kicks things off and from there the gradient doesn’t drop below the 10% mar, with the final kilometre averaging 13.12%.

 

The Alto de Sotres is definitely one of the hardest finishing climb of the entire race and it is the penultimate chance for the climbers to make a difference. The stage comes late in the race and at this point recovery and fatigue play a huge role. Very often we see riders crack spectacularly at this point in the Vuelta as everybody seems to be on their limit this late in the season. The first part of the stage could be pretty nervous as it takes place along the coast but history shows that the Asturian coast rarely produces much drama. Due to the easy start, it is possible to control the stage so depending on the situation, the GC riders may want to bring the bonus seconds into play. However, with an even harder stage coming up, there is a solid chance that it will be a day for a breakaway as it has often been the case in the middle section of the mountains triptych in the second week.

 

The final climb has never been used in the Vuelta before and has not hosted a finish of a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 16, Monday September 7: Luarca – Ermita de Alba. Quiros, 185km

As said, the organizers of the Vuelta a Espana have introduced a tradition of having this triptych of mountain stages at the end of the second week of the race and very often they have had the hardest stage in the end. Furthermore, it has often been the queen stage even though a recent trend has seen the organizers to have another very hard mountain stage on the penultimate day. Due to the extreme nature of stage 11, the final stage in the triptych cannot be regarded as the queen stage of the race but as there are no big mountain stages in the final week and it is the final mountaintop finish of the race, it will be even more important than usual as it offers the final big chance for the climbers to make a difference.

 

Unlike the previous mountain stages in Asturias, it is a day with numerous climbs as there will be no less than 17 categorized ascents on a day full of ups and downs. However, most of the climbs are relatively short and of the second and third category and only the final two climbs are real mountains. Hence, the first part of the stage is more of a lumpy classic before the serious climbing starts with the final two ascents which are both very steep.

 

The stage brings the riders over 185km from Luarca on the Asturian coast to a mountaintop finish on Alto Ermita de Alba. Right from the start, the riders will get into climbing mode as they will leave the coast immediately to go up the category 3 Alto de Aristebano (14.6km, 3.4%). It is more of a gradual uphill than a real climb but will definitely create a tough start of the race.

 

The climb is followed by a lumpy section with no flat roads at all before the riders get to the category 2 Alto de Piedratecha (10.6km, 4.8%). At the top, they will turn to the west in a rare flat section of the course before they tackle a long descent that leads to the bottom of the category 3 Alto de Cabrunana (4.8km, 6.8%). Another descent leads to a relatively flat section and the short, steep category 2 Alto del Tenebredo (3.7km, 8.9%). Then it’s the final section of flat roads before the final starts.

 

It kicks off at the bottom of the category 2 Alto del Cordal (8.5km, 5.8%) with 43.5km to go and from there, there is no room for recovery. The descent leads to the intermediate sprint with 29km to go and then it is straight onto the well-known category 1 Alto de la Cobertoria (9.8km, 8.7%). It’s a very steep climb as the gradient stays between 10% and 13% from the third kilometre until it level out for the final two kilometres.

 

The summit comes with just 18.5km to go. First it is the difficult descent and then there is a very short valley section before the riders hit the bottom of the category 1 Alto Ermita de Alba. At just 6.8km, it is pretty short but it has a brutal average gradient of 11.1%. The gradient only briefly drops below the 10% a few times but reaches an impressive 21.67% at the midpoint. The final two kilometres are slightly easier but there’s another section of 14.75% inside the final kilometre, meaning that the damage can be done throughout the entire ascent.

 

The final week presents a few opportunities to maybe create a surprise but this is the final really big day for the climbers. Furthermore, it has the hardest finishing climb of the entire race so this is one of the stages that the big riders want to win. With a rest day and a time trial coming up, the domestiques will have two easier days so it will be possible to spend quite a bit of energy to control the race. The first part of the course is lumpy but not overly hard and this should make it possible for the GC riders to decide the stage. The final two climbs are both very tough and with no valley in between, it will be possible to attack already on the Alto de la Cobertoria. If they still have cards to play, this is an obvious tactic for Astana, especially for Vincenzo Nibali who can use the descent to increase a potential advantage. However, the final climb is so hard that they may prefer to save themselves for the final battle. On this kind of ascent, it will be less about tactics and more about the legs on a day that is likely to be one of two mountain stages to create the biggest differences.

 

The Alto de Cordal and Alto de Cobertoria are Vuelta a Espana classics but the final climb has never been used before. It has not hosted a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday September 8: Rest day, Burgos

 

Stage 17, Wednesday September 9: Burgos – Burgos, 38.7km ITT

Last year a frustrated Chris Froome asked race director Javier Guillen why there was never a completely flat time trial in the Vuelta. Much to his delight, Guillen announced that he had already planned a flat TT around Burgos for the 2015 edition of the race and there is no doubt that stage 17 has been one of the drawcards for Froome. The Tour barely gave him any chance to showcase his TT skills so he will be pleased to out his rouleur skills to good use on stage 17 which could be the final big GC day of the race.

 

The time trial marks a bit of a change in recent Vuelta history. While the Giro has often had two time trials – of which one has often has been a mountain time trial – and the Tour has historically had more time trialling than the other two grand tours, the Spanish race has usually limited its time trialling to one stage in the second or the third week. The distance has usually been around the 40km mark and very often it has included a considerable amount of climbing without being a mountain time trial. This year the race again offers a single individual test at the usual point of the race and the distance is also within the usual range. However, it is the first really flat time trial since a relatively unknown Chris Froome surprisingly rode himself into the red jersey by finishing second behind Tony Martin in Salamanca in 2011.

 

At 38.7km, the course has the typical length of a Vuelta time trial and it is almost completely flat as the riders will stay between 850m and 995m above sea level for the entire stage that is held on the plains around the city of Burgos. The first part is slightly ascending and then there is a slightly descending part before the road levels out for the second half that just includes a very small climb late in the stage.

 

The first part of the stage is made up of a flat, almost rectangular circuit on the southeastern outskirts of the city but as usual, the organizers have included some kind of challenge in the end. This time the difficulty doesn’t come from the terrain though. Instead, the many turns will make for a highly technical finale that will be very dangerous if the roads are wet. Hence, the course can be split into two parts: one that is all about power and one that is more about technical skills.

 

Even though the stage can be split into two parts, the first part will have the biggest impact on the outcome and as it is all about power, this is a day for the specialists. The Burgos plains can be extremely windy as they will make it tough for the tiny climbers who can potentially lose a lot of time – just recall how Joaquim Rodriguez lost more than 6 minutes to stage winner Peter Velits in this area in 2010. Technical skills will be important in the finale where it will be possible to make up some time for riders that excel in turns but it won’t be enough to make up what has been lost in the power sections. Tom Dumoulin obviously stands out as the man to beat while Chris Froome hopes to gain time on all his rivals on the day that could potentially determine the final GC. If it starts to rain, the technical finale will have a huge impact on the results so hopefully everybody will have the same conditions for their rider.

 

Burgos regularly features on the course and has mostly been the scene of bunch sprints unless the strong winds in the area have ripped the race apart. It last hosted a stage in 2013 when a late climb was tougher than expected and opened the door for Bauke Mollema to make a late attack from the reduced peloton to narrowly hold off Edvald Boasson Hagen who won the bunch sprint for second. In 2010, Mark Cavendish beat Thor Hushovd in a bunch sprint while Oscar Freire was faster than Tom Boonen in 2008. In 2006, Egoi Martinez took a solo win from a breakaway while Alessandro Petacchi won a bunch sprint in 2005. He was also the fastest in 2004 and 2002 while Unai Etxebarria took a breakaway win in 2003. Of course the city always hosts a stages of the Vuelta a Burgos too, most recently a few weeks ago when Astana crushed the opposition in a team time trial to put Luis Leon Sanchez into the race lead.

 

 

 

 

Stage 18, Thursday September 10: Roa – Riaza, 204km

Unlike in the last few years, there are no big mountain stages in the final week of the race but the climbers still have a chance to make a difference in the three stages that are held in the mountains north of Madrid. There are no summit finishes but the stages include some solid climbs that can be used to change things a bit at a time when fatigue has definitely set in and plays a major role.

 

This first of those opportunities comes in stage 18 which is another long stage of more than 200km. It brings the riders over 204km from Roa to Riaza. Roa is located in the flat area close to Burgos where the riders spent the rest day and did the time trial and so the first part of the stage is completely flat as the riders travel in a southeasterly direction to approach the hills on the northern outskirts of Madrid. The roads are only very slightly ascending but things get a bit tougher at the 75km mark when the riders hit the bottom of the category 3 Alto Santibanez de Ayllon (7.8km, 4.0%). A short flat section leads to the category 3 Alto del Campanario (6.5km, 3.9%) whose summit is located with 104.5km to go.

 

From here the terrain is mainly descending but it is significantly lumpier than it was in the first part of the stage as there is very few flat sections and several small climbs along the way. With around 60km to go, the riders will turn around to head in a northwesterly direction in the final part of the stage and with 47km to go, the riders get to the intermediate sprint.

 

This signals the start of the finale as the road will be slightly ascending for most of the time until the riders get to the bottom of the main challenge, the category 1 Puerto de la Quesera , with 23km to go. It is a 10km climb that averages 5.2%. The first three kilometres are relatively easy at 2-3% but from there the gradient hovers around 6-7% for most of the time. The summit is located just 13km from the finish and is followed by a descent that is not too technical. The real descent ends with around 6km to go and from there the final part of the stage is only slightly descending.

 

The final climb is not a big challenge and it never gets very steep. Nonetheless, it is likely to be the scene of a battle between the GC riders as they need to take every opportunity to turn things around in the final part of the race. The climb is unlikely to do any major damage but at this point in a grand tour, there is always a chance that one of the GC contenders will crack. As the descent is not very difficult either, it will be hard for a rider like Nibali to use it to his advantage, especially as the final part of the stage is more about power. Instead, it may be the win that could potentially do more damage. On paper, the final climb will be manageable for a rider like Sagan but with the GC riders likely to battle it out, it will probably be impossible for him to stay in contention if he is still in the race at this point. With no big favourite for this kind of stage, there is a very big chance that a breakaway will ride away with the win.

 

Riaza has not hosted the finish of a major stage race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 19, Friday September 11: Medina del Campo – Avila, 185.5km

The city of Avila on the northern outskirts of Madrid has often welcomed the national grand tour late in the race and has often been a place for escapees to shine in the lumpy terrain. For some reason, the city hasn’t been visited since 2009 and so it will be a welcome return when the race arrives here at the end of stage 19. The terrain is selective and it has never given any room for the sprinters but it has never really given much room for the GC riders to shine either and it is unlikely to be any different in 2015.

 

The stage brings the riders over 185.5km from Medina del Camp to Avila and mainly consists of a long southerly run as the riders continue their journey towards Madrid. The starting city is located in a part of the country that is almost entirely flat so there will be no major challenges in the first part that is only very slightly ascending.

 

After 86.6km of racing, the riders get to Avila for the first time and then it is time to venture into the hills on the southern outskirts of the city. At the 92km mark, the riders hit the bottom of the category 3 Alto de Valdavia (13km, 2.7%) which is a typical Spanish uphill drag with no steep parts. The summit comes with 80.8km to go and leads straight onto a long descending section.

 

At the southernmost point of the course, the riders will turn around to head back towards Avila and that naturally means that the roads are gradually ascending. With 27.8km to go, they will contest the intermediate sprint and then it is straight onto the lower slopes of the main challenge, the category 2 Alto de la Paramera (8.7km, 4.5%). The summit is located just 19.5km from the finish and from here the roads are mainly slightly descending as the riders head back north to Avila. There’s a small uncategorized climb with 10km to go and then it’s a short descent and a flat section that leads to the well-known finale on the cobbled wall in the city centre. The climb starts just before the 2km to go mark and ends at the flamme rouge from where the road is only very slightly ascending.

 

If the time gaps are small, the GC riders have to grab every opportunity in the final part of the race but the terrain in this stage is not hard enough to make a difference. Hence, the main riders are likely to save their energy for the penultimate stage which offers a much better chance to do some damage. The late category 2 climb is not too hard for the likes of John Degenkolb and Peter Sagan who should excel on the cobbled wall in Avila so their teams may try to keep things together. It won’t be easy though and history shows that a breakaway usually comes out on top in Avila.

 

Avila last hosted a stage in 2009 when Philip Deignan turned out to be the strongest from a breakaway, beating Roman Kreuziger in a two-rider sprint on the cobbled wall. In 2008, it was Luis Perez Rodriguez who took a solo win on a day when the GC riders battled for the stage win after a harder stage. In 2005, Nicki Sørensen won from a breakaway while Javier Pascal Rodriguez won a two-rider sprint in 2004. Jose Vicente Garcia Acosta took a solo win in 2002 while Mariano Piccoli won a reduced bunch sprint in 2000. In 1999, the city hosted two stage finishes. First Frank Vandenbroucke took a solo win while Jan Ullrich confirmed his overall victory one day later when he crushed the opposition in the time trial on the penultimate stage one day later.

 

 

 

 

Stage 20, Saturday September 12: San Lorenzo de El Escorial – Cercedilla, 175.8km

Every year since 2012, the Vuelta a Espana has had a tough mountaintop finish on the penultimate day. In 2012, it was the Bola del Mundo that provided an exciting end to the race while Alto de Angliru was the decider in 2013. Last year we had a huge battle between Alberto Contador and Chris Froome on the Ancares ascent and in those three years the overall win has been up for grabs right until the penultimate stage.

 

This year the race returns to a more traditional format. The penultimate stage can definitely be characterized as a mountain stage as it takes place in the Madrid mountains that have so often shaped the final GC in the Spanish race. This time, however, there will be no mountaintop finish and this means that the stage is less likely to produce the same kind of differences that we have seen in the past. On the other hand, it is a big day of climbing with no less than four category 1 climbs and so the terrain is there to try to change things at this very late point in the race. Again it will be the Purto de Navacerrada climb that will have the final say in the race but this time the riders won’t climb all the way up to Bola del Mundo as they did in 2010 and 2012.

 

The stage brings the riders over 175.8km from San Lorenzo de El Escorial to Cercedilla. The start and finish are separated by just 17km of slightly ascending roads which the riders will cover right from the start. The final part of the stage is now made up of an out-and-bac course, with a small circuit to be covered before the riders turn around and head back to the finish in Cercedilla.

 

This means that the riders will tackle the final part of the stage from the opposite direction and so they will go up the category 1 Puerto de Navacerrada already after 20.6km of racing. From this side, it is a 9.4km ascent that averages 6.6%. After a relatively easy start, the gradient stays around 8-9% for most of the time before it briefly reaches a maximum of 11.25% just before the top. Then there is a shot flat section before the riders descend to the bottom of the category 1 Puerto de la Morcuera (11.5km, 5.4%). It’s a relatively regular climb with gradients of 6-8% until a short descent near the summit leads to the final 1.5km that have gradients of 4-6%.

 

The summit comes at the 67.5km mark and the riders will now descend to Miraflores de la Sierra where they will start a lap of a flat circuit that they will cover once. After 116.6km of racing, they are back at the same point and from here they will follow the same road back to the finish in Cercedilla.

 

This means that they will again tackle the category 1 Puerto de la Morcuera but now from the opposite side. It is now a 10.4km ascent with an average gradient of 6.6%. It is very regular with a gradient of 6-7% for most of the time, with a peak of 9.5% in the second half.

 

The summit comes with 48.8km to go and the final part of the stage starts with a descent to the intermediate sprint that is located 34.3km from the line. Then there’s a short flat section before the riders will ride back up the Puerto de Navacerrada, albeit from the other direction. From this side, it is known as the Puerto de Cotos and averages 5.4% over 11km. The first 4km are relatively easy and from there it is very regular at 6-7%, with a peak of 8.5% at the top.

 

The summit is located 17.8km from the finish and is followed by a short flat section. The final part of the stage consists of the descent that ends at the flamme rouge. The final kilometre is very slightly uphill.

 

This is the final chance to change things and so we should see one final battle between the GC riders. However, the climbs north of Madrid are not very steep and history shows that it is hard to create a big difference in this area. Often bad days for a few GC contenders have made some changes but the best riders have mostly finished in the same time. However, there is no reason not to give it a try and with several big climbs, a strong team can make the race hard right from the beginning. There is not much flat in the final part of the stage so it could be a day to try an attack already on the penultimate ascent or one of the descents, especially if the roads are wet. However, if it comes down to a battle on the final climb, the overall leader will probably be able to defend his position. With a downhill finish, it is a good day for a breakaway which has often succeeded on the penultimate day of the Vuelta but as there is no reason to hold anything back, it is not impossible that Movistar will try to set Alejandro Valverde up for a stage win or that Astana want to win a stage with one of their many GC riders, especially if the bonus seconds are still important. In any case, we will see attacks from the GC riders on the final real day of racing.

 

Cercedilla has not hosted a stage finish for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 21, Sunday September 13: Alcala de Henares – Madrid, 97.8km

While the Giro d’Italia has changed its finishing city on several occasions and have alternated a bit between sprint stages and time trials for the final day, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana have been a lot more conservative. Since 1990, the French race has always finished with a flat road stage in Paris, with the Champs-Elysees being the most famous cycling avenue due to its role in the biggest race in the world. The Vuelta organizers have experimented a bit more but in recent years they have almost always had a flat sprint stage in Madrid on the final day. Last year their desire to celebrate the 800th anniversary visit of St Francis of Assisi’s visit to Santiago de Compostela saw them change things by having a short time trial in that city but before that the stage hadn’t had a final time trial since 2002 and not finished outside Madrid since 1993.

 

Already last year the organizers promised to return to tradition for the 2015 edition and so it is no surprise that the race ends with a flat stage to the capital. Like in the Tour, it is always a mostly ceremonial affair and so the organizers have made the wise decision to make it relatively short. At 98.8km, it is the shortest road stage of the race and brings the riders from the eastern suburb of Alcala de Henares to Madrid.

 

Like ASO did for this year’s Tour de France, Unipublic have also shortened the first part of the course which is where the riders celebrate their achievements by riding at a slow pace. Hence, they will head directly towards the city centre along completely flat roads ad already after 39.8km of racing, they will cross the finish line for the first time. The final part of the stage is made up of 10 laps of a 5.9km finishing circuit that is completely flat. It is the same circuit that has been used in the past and is well-known by most of the riders. It is T-shaped and includes three U-turns and two 90-degree turns but otherwise is held on wide and straight roads. The final turn comes at the flamme rouge and then it is a straight, very slightly ascending road to the finish on Plaza Cibeles in the heart of Madrid.

 

The stage will of course pan out as it usually does, with the first part raced at a leisurely pace while the riders take the time to congratulate each other, take a sip from a champagne glass and pose for the photographers. Racing gets serious when they approach the finishing circuit, with the team of the race leader set to gradually pick up the pace before the first passage of the finish line. From then, it will be full-on racing which will in all likelihood come down to a bunch sprint that may even determine the winner of the points classification. With a shorter ceremonial part and more laps on the circuit, we should get a bit more racing than usual but the scenario is likely to be the same. A small group will get clear on the circuit but in this kind of short stage they won’t get much of an advantage. The sprint teams will keep things firmly under control and it will be very hard to deny the sprinters. As the final stage of the Giro showed, surprises are possible even in the final stage of a grand tour but with a less technical circuit it will be a lot more difficult for the attackers.

 

As said, the race skipped its usual finish in Madrid in 2014 but apart from that it has finished in the capital every year since 1993. Michael Matthews was the last rider to win in the city in 2013 while John Degenkolb completed a memorable race by taking the win in 2012. Peter Sagan won the final stage of his debut grand tour in 2011 while Tyler Farrar beat Mark Cavendish in 2010. André Greipel came out on top in 2009 and Matti Breschel was the surprise winner in 2008. Daniele Bennati continued a great Vuelta by winning the stage in 2007 while Erik Zabel took the win in 2006. Alessandro Petacchi and the Italians practiced their lead-out for the Worlds in 2005 to deliver the fastman to another victory and Santiago Perez was the last rider to win a TT in 2004. Petacchi was again the fastest in 2003 while Aitor Gonzalez took the overall victory by winning a TT in 2002. In 2001, Santiago Botero won a TT and it was Santos Gonzalez who came out on top in race against the clock in 2000. In 1999, Jeroen Blijlevens took a sprint win.