Proposed Vuelta route is leaked

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Spanish newspaper El Diario de León has posted a rough draft of the route for the 2011 Vuelta a España, which confirms that the race is set to return to the Basque Country and will also feature summit finishes at Sierra Nevada, the Alto de Pandera, the Puerto de Ancares and the Alto de Naranco.

The official presentation of the Vuelta route is not due to take place until January 12 in Benidorm, where the race is due to start on August 20. According to the details in the image published on the newspaper’s website, the proposed Vuelta route is as follows:

Stage 1, Aug 20: Benidorm time trial

Stage 2, Aug 21: La Nucia-Orihuela Costa

Stage 3, Aug 22: Petrer-Cartagena

Stage 4, Aug 23: Cartagena-Almería

Stage 5, Aug 24: Almería-Sierra Nevada

Stage 6, Aug 25: Granada-La Pandera

Stage 7, Aug 26: Jaén-Málaga

Stage 8, Aug 27: Marbella-Jerez de la Frontera

Stage 9, Aug 28: Jerez de la Frontera-Córdoba

Aug 29: Rest day

Stage 10, Aug 30: Toledo –Segovia

Stage 11, Aug 31: Ávila-Zamora

Stage 12, Sept 1: Zamora-Laguna de los Peces

Stage 13, Sept 2: Puebla de Sanabria-Orense

Stage 14, Sept 3: Pontevedra time trial

Stage 15, Sept 4: Lalín-Fonte da Cova

Sept 5: Rest day

Stage 16, Sept 5: Lugo-Puerto de Ancares

Stage 17, Sept 6: Villablino-Monte Naranco

Stage 18, Sept 7: Oviedo-Santander

Stage 19, Sept 8: Santander-Bilbao

Stage 20, Sept 9: Bilbao-Vitoria

Stage 21, Sept: Alcalá de Henares-Madrid time trial

The Diario de León story also includes details on the climbs likely to feature on the key stage through the province of Castilla y León to the extremely tough Puerto de Ancares climb. Five categorized climbs feature before the Ancares: three 3rd-cat hills then the 2nd-category Louxas and the 1st-category Santa Morela. The last 5km of the Ancares average more than 11% and feature numerous ramps of up to 17%.

Cyclingnews has contacted Vuelta organizers Unipublic and is awaiting their response.