Day by Day Itinerary

Friday 20th September
Our Own Vuelta will start by collecting you from the airport in Madrid on Friday 20th September and taking you to the Hotel Cuzco **** (Near Santiago Bernabeu Stadium) in the center of Madrid for the night before we depart for Gijon and the finish of the 14th Stage of the Vuelta. Tonight we'll dine together and get to know each other over a cerveza or two. Today you have time to explore Madrid.

Saturday 21st
This morning we'll be on the road straight after breakfast to make it up to Gijon for the stage finish there. All going well we will be there to see our first taste of the Vuelta a España.

After the stage and presentations we will go to Oviedo the capital of Asturias for one night at the Hotel Ciudad de Oviedo *** where we will explore and have dinner in the evening. Oviedo's biggest Fiesta is that of San Mateo and it will be culminating when we arrive on the 21st so be ready for a big night out!

Unless tomorrow, you want to tackle the ascent of Alto El Angliru, the steep 1570 m climb that ends the 15th stage with gradients of over 20%.

Sunday 22nd
Today is probably one of the most anticipated days in the whole cycling year! If you're a spectator! The ascent of that mega mountain, Alto El Angliru.

Stage 15 will culminate with the ascent of Alto El Angliru, a steep 1570m climb that ends with gradients of over 20%. The climb has a fearsome reputation and could play a decisive role in the final result.

Gijon's beach

"That is where the outcome of the race will be at stake," said last year's runner-up Oscar Sevilla. "The climb is extremely tough, almost inhuman."

We will go out to La Vega-Riosa by car or bike as it's only 20 kilometres, a good warm up distance, and get a vantage point for the stage. This climb is the hardest in Europe and strikes fear into all professional cyclists except the absolute best climbers. Recommended gearing for this climb is 39 x 29 and this is what the pros will be using!

Tonight we go to our Hotel Tryp Rey Pelayo **** a few meters from the San Lorenzo beach in Gijón where we will spend the next 3 nights.

Monday 23rd
Today is a rest day in the race so we can do some sightseeing, shopping, riding or all of the above. There will be an organized ride leaving the hotel around 10am to explore the beautiful Asturian countryside. For those not wanting to ride there will be a vehicle available to take you to some tourist spots on the coast or explore beautiful Gijon.

Later in the day we will try to arrange a visit to a team hotel to see the mechanics at work and do a bit of autograph hunting.

Tuesday 24th
Tuesday we will go to the start in Aviles and see the race off on its way to Leon. It will be our first opportunity to get up close with the riders in a relaxed atmosphere before they begin work for the day. We will go to the start by bike or car early to catch the riders and get some photos and autographs before they depart to Leon. We will spend the rest of the day around Gijon. Cyclists can take in a ride out to Cabo de Penas along the coastline and back to Gijon while those not wanting to cycle can take a tourist drive back to Gijon.

Wednesday 25th
Today we bid farewell to our hotel in Gijon. Today we head off to Salamanca to see the finish of the stage there.

Parador Hotel Salamanca

Riders will get the chance to ride the last 80k to our hotel, the Parador Salamanca **** and the finish of the stage.

Salamanca is a beautiful and historic Castilian city that is one of the most talked about places to visit in Spain. It is also a big university town with a great nightlife. It's historical university and churches are without equal in Spain. Salamanca has been designated as the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2002 and has been busy sprucing itself up in readiness for the yearlong celebrations. Today is a flat stage to Salamanca and should result in a bunch finish. So after checking into our hotel we'll head down to the finish to see the riders come in. After the presentations you'll be free to explore the town, take in a meal, visit one of the many little bars or all of the above.

Thursday 26th

Bejar

The last two mountain stages on Stage 18 and 19 will also provide some serious challenges, especially today's stage from Salamanca to Estación de Esquí La Covatilla (191 km), which finishes with a 2010m Special category climb. The finish is about 80 kilometres for Salamanca so we'll ride (or drive) down and do the final climb before the race comes through. If you don't feel up to the final climb then you can wait at the bottom and meet the car when it arrives.

After the race we'll meet at the car and go onto our hotel in nearby Bejar which is also the stage start for tomorrow.

Friday 27th
Today is the climbers last chance to put time into the timetriallists so this mountain stage will be critical in deciding who will wear the final amarillo jersey in Madrid.

We take the cars to somewhere near the final climbs of the day where those wanting to take out their bikes and ride can do so while the rest watch the race from the safety of a bar! After the race goes through we go onto our Hotel Cuzco **** (Near Santiago Bernabeu Stadium) in the center of Madrid for the next three nights.

Saturday 28th
Saturday will see the return of the sprinters with the finish at Warner Bros Movie World just south of Madrid. Again we'll go to the finish however some may wish to stay behind and play tourist in Madrid. In the evening we will go into Madrid, a captivating city full of life and character. People stay out late into the night here (as in the rest of Spain but even more so here). Madrid is known as a city to be lived.

Sunday 29th

Madrid

Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium will be the finish point for this year's Tour of Spain. This should provide the perfect grand finale to the final grand tour of 2002. Riders will cross the finish line on the Real Madrid pitch as part of the club's centenary. More than 75,000 people are expected to witness the finish. I think this is definitely the place to be! Big screen, lots of entertainment, noisy Spanish fans and you'll see the presentations of the final jerseys. This will take up most of our day, leaving the night to party before the trip comes to an end tomorrow. We'll go out for our fairwell dinner and a few last cervezas after the race finishes.

Monday 30th
Today we either transfer to the airport for home or those staying on for part 2 (our trip to Paris Tours and the World Championships) we will travel up to San Sebastian with the cars to stay there for the next three days which will include some riding, sightseeing, shopping and visits to the Team Coast Spanish Headquarters, the Orbea frame factory and a few other surprises.

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