Stage 2 heads into the South of France for the longest stage of the Vuelta a España, at 214.3km. This hilly stage is hard to predict, it’s unusually early for such a breakaway-friendly test, and it will likely come down to a battle between the sprinters and the puncheurs.
The riders will line up at Place du Palais Princier and roll towards the race start at the Jardin Exotique before heading west into France, reaching Nice via the Moyenne Corniche after 10 kilometres. Some 20 kilometres later comes the climb into the Provençal mountains, via the Alto Châteauneuf-Grasse and the Col de Saint-Andrieu. The final 100 kilometres wind through a constant series of steep ascents, descents, and bends, before dropping down towards the Durance river basin and tackling the technical, narrow, steep-gradient finishing climb into Manosque.
Climbs
Alto Châteauneuf-Grasse (cat. 3, 12.8km at 2.9%), km. 44.5
Col de Saint-Andrieu (cat. 3, 4.7km at 4.8%), km. 104.6
Sprints
Gréoux-les-Bains, km. 178.5
For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You'll get comprehensive race coverage of La Vuelta a España, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.
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.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
