Stage 6 of this year's Vuelta a España could cause some surprises as not only does it include four climbs but the final ascent also adds an extra challenge, a three-kilometre stretch of gravel.
After a coastal start in Alcossebre, the route heads inland for the opening 66 kilometres, winding through the Mediterranean highlands and over two climbs, the Puerto de la Serratella and the Coll de la Bandereta, a perfect launchpad for the breakaway.
The peloton then works its way toward the Desierto de las Palmas leading to the first category Bartolo with a final gravel section before the summit.. From there, a fast 11km descent takes the riders down towards Castellón, with a final 9km flat dash to the finish line.
Puerto de la Serratella (cat. 2, 14km at 3.8%), km. 44.6
Coll de la Bandereta (cat. 3, 4.6km at 6.7%) km. 66.1
Desierto de las Palmas (cat. 2, 7.6km at 4.9%), km. 128.5
El Bartolo (cat. 1, 9.4km at 7.1%), km. 156.8
Sprints
Benicàssim, km. 120.1
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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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