Vuelta a España 2012: Stage 2 Preview

Pamplona – Viana

Distance: 180km
Highest point: 635m
Category: Rolling

Easy does it
When Vuelta route director Abraham Olano looked for a course for the race’s opening road stage, he looked to Navarran cycling heroes Miguel Indurain and Vicente García Acosta and considered the difficulty of the stages just ahead. Consequently, they decided against the inclusion of the tough ascent of the Etxauri. Although the road bumps up and down, there is just one categorised climb, the cat 3 Alto de la Chapela, where the first rider over the top will guarantee himself at least a day in the King of the Mountains jersey. The slightly rising final kilometre won’t deter the bunch sprinters.

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Vuelta a España: Stage 2 preview

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