Vuelta a España - Stage 20: September 19 - Toledo, 26km
Holy Toledo Batman! Last gasp dash for overall contenders
Proycling's Analysis: A last blast before Madrid but will it see more than a shake-up of the minor placings? This is a course for the specialists, covering some of the same ground as a road stage into Toledo in last year’s race. Over this short distance, the gaps between the contenders for the title will need to be measured in seconds rather than minutes for the final decision to be in doubt.
Culture Vulture: A former capital of the Empire, Toledo thrived under the Moors and was home to famed artist El Greco for the latter part of his life.
Local hero: ‘The Eagle of Toledo’, Federico Bahamontes won the 1959 Tour de France and the mountains title six times but never his national tour.
Vuelta Retro: The first winner in Toledo was Frenchman Jean Stablinski in 1958. Britain’s Malcolm Elliott outsprinted Sean Kelly for a stage win in 1988 and last year Paolo Bettini led the race into the city.
Neil Stephens says: Again, it's just a matter of limiting our losses on the time trials, just like in Valencia. The distance is almost the same so that's a good thing. Hopefully the situation will be Alejandro Valverde defending a good position on general classification rather than trying to make up time over a relatively short distance. By now you'd reckon that the overall is pretty well decided.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
USA CRITS: Alexis Magner charges to third consecutive win at Athens Twilight Criterium
Clever Martinez laps men's field with Will Hardin to go one-two in high-intensity Georgia race -
Giro d'Italia adds time bonus sprints to 19 stages of 2025 race in partnership with Red Bull to 'ignite fierce battles' in GC
New sponsorship and bonus seconds could spark more aggressive racing due to position of Red Bull KM intermediate sprints -
Who is Miguel Indurain?
All you need to know about the first, and to date only, rider to win the Tour de France five times in succession -
‘The human element will not be eliminated anytime soon’ - Dimitris Katsanis on 3D printing, AI, and the future of carbon fibre
Will the world's first completely 3D printed road frameset help usher in a new era of frame manufacturing?