The Vuelta includes the Angliru

By Monika Prell

The General Sport director of Asturias, Misael Fernández Porrón, has revealed that the Alto de l'Angliru will be part of the 2008 Vuelta a España. During an exhibition in Mieres, Spain, the Spaniard also indicated that Fuentes de Invierno would host as mountain top finish in the three-week Spanish race slated to run August 30 to September 21. Race organizer Unipublic will officially announce the entire route on December 5.

"This is a decision of the government of the principality [of Asturias] in consultation with the town mayor of Aller," affirmed Fernández Porrón, according to as.com. "We think that it's a very interesting way to show the ski region of Fuentes de Invierno in the Spanish and international media."

The fact that a stage of the Vuelta finishes in Fuentes de Invierno is "a way to make publicity, and will generate an economical activity for the zone," noted Fernández Porrón.

The 12.55-kilometre climb to Angliru last featured in the 2002 Vuelta, and is renowned for its stiff gradients – there is a sector of 23.6 percent in the final three kilometres. Spaniard Roberto Heras won five years ago, and before him it was Italian Gilberto Simoni (2000) and the late José Maria Jiménez (1999).