Cycling: Believe it or not, nine mountain finishes await the riders at the Vuelta a España 2017. So there's ample opportunity to gain time on the competition. But the other sections will also cause time differences at the Vuelta this year. Switching it on is therefore recommended! At what stages is the decision made?
Watch out for the toxic climbs of stages 8 & 9
The fact that the Vuelta a España is a tour for climbers shouldn't be anything new for any cycling fan. The surprise that almost half of the stages will end with an ascending profile was correspondingly small. So the decision will certainly be made in the mountains. But a few other sections should not be underestimated. It starts straight away, for example, with a team time trial in Nîmes over 13,7 kilometers. The time gaps will be small here, but with a tight decision in the overall ranking, every second could be important. The eighth stage from Hellín to Xorret de Catí is where things really get going. The Alto Xorret de Catí is just a few kilometers from the finish line - as it was in 2009 and 2010. Just one day later, the Alto de Puig Llorença, which is up to 21 percent steep, has to be overcome. These short - but extremely toxic climbs - could already tick some riders off the list of favorites.
The 14th section separates the wheat from the chaff
The fourth mountain finish of the Vuelta a España is also the first of the categoría especial. The stage leads over 175 kilometers from Écija to Sierra de la Pandera. After a bumpy ascent, the 12-kilometre climb to La Pandera averages 7,3 percent. The extremely uneven ascent has double-digit percentages in some sections and therefore definitely does not suit the scooters.
Stage 15 will lead to a preliminary decision
If we assume that the 14th stage will already lead to a relatively strong selection, then the stage on the following day should finally divide everything. From Alcalá la Real, the route takes riders just 129,4 kilometers to the Alto Hoya de la Mora. We know that the short stages are often the most exciting and interesting. It could well be that the 15th stage of the Vuelta a España will be the queen stage. Then the second rest day in Logroño. So the drivers can give it their all again here. A real battle will definitely ensue on this short leg. Anyone who is already a little behind in the overall standings could launch a decisive attack quite early on. It is quite possible that the field will not slow down a meter, but will be driven at full speed throughout the day.
40,2 km time trial: Who can keep up with Chris Froome?
At the Vuelta a España, too, the time trial kilometers are the icing on the cake. Apart from the team time trial, there is only a total of 40,2 kilometers in the fight against the clock, but there will still be big differences here. It is to be hoped, however, that the time trial kilometers will not carry too much weight. After all, with nine climbs, the organizers have done everything to ensure that the less good time trialists can attack the strong time trialists. In terms of people, that means: Chris Froome has to be constantly attacked in the mountains. On the 16th stage, the Briton gets around two minutes out of weaker time trialists.
Who's afraid of the Alto de L'Angliru?
If, after eight climbs and the individual time trial, things are still relatively close in the overall standings, no cycling fan can leave the TV on on the 20th stage. Then the Alto de L'Angliru is on the agenda. With its length and percentage, this climb is one of the most feared mountains in the cycling world. It will be particularly tough in 2017, as it only has to be overcome on the 20th stage. This is where tactics come to an end. Whoever is in front has to parry the attacks. Anyone who is behind will get the perfect profile for attacks here. Here the winner of the Vuelta a España 2017 is chosen.
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