The Vuelta a España climbers and GC contenders return to the forefront in Andalusia, near the Mediterranean coast on stage 12, for another tough summit finish on the traditional double climb formed by Velefique and Calar Alto, a climb previously won by Roberto Heras, Igor Antón and Miguel Ángel López.
Starting in Vera, near the Mediterranean coast, the route heads inland and rises immediately, with the first test of the day, the Alto del Cabecico, coming 16 kilometres in. The riders continue climbing into the Sierra de los Filabres, tackling the Alto de Cóbdar and the Collado García, before a quick descent into the valley sets up the finale: the Alto de Velefique and Calar Alto. The final ascent, to the Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory, the largest astronomical observatory in Europe, tops out at 2,100 metres.
Climbs
Alto del Cabecico (cat. 3, 8.3km at 3.3%), km. 16
Alto de Cóbdar (cat. 3, 4.9km at 4.5%), km. 57.5
Collado García (cat. 2, 18.5km at 2.4%), km. 86.4
Alto de Velefique (cat. 1, 13.1km at 7.2%), km. 135.4
Calar Alto (cat. 1, 16.9km at 5.6%), km. 166.6
Sprints
Velefique, km. 123.7
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Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites.
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