Vuelta a España: Stage 2
Parcours preview
Distance: 176.8km
Category: Medium mountain
Highest point: 630m
Baiona was the first place in Europe to receive news of the discovery of the New World when a ship in Christopher Columbus' tiny fleet of three vessels returned to Spain in 1493. The first land the crew of the Pinta spied may well have been the Alto da Groba, which stands right behind the small port of Baiona and provides an intriguing finale for this stage. At 11km and averaging 5.4 per cent, it isn't the toughest test the riders will face on this race. However, it will require the GC contenders to be at their climbing best on just the second stage. The steepest ramps are perhaps too far down the climb to encourage the favourites onto the offensive. Will that mean a breakaway winner?
Yvon Ledanois: "These stages in Galicia always look straightforward but end up being complicated. We won't have a GC rider so we'll be looking for stage wins. In fact, there may not be that many obvious GC riders in the race at all, so it will be interesting to see who emerges today."

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets
After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Peter Cossins has written about professional cycling since 1993 and is a contributing editor to Procycling. He is the author of The Monuments: The Grit and the Glory of Cycling's Greatest One-Day Races (Bloomsbury, March 2014) and has translated Christophe Bassons' autobiography, A Clean Break (Bloomsbury, July 2014).
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
A pick up truck, a mattress in the back and an Unbound-led gravel adventure
Australian Tasman Nankervis takes six months off day job to fly half-way around world, chase Life Time Grand Prix series top 10 'on the cheap' -
From 34 to 4,000 riders, how Rebecca Rusch elevated Unbound Gravel
'It didn't have to be me. I just happen to be the one that showed up' says three-time Unbound women's champion -
Elisa Balsamo undergoes successful surgery to treat jaw fractures
Trek-Segafredo have not confirmed Balsamo's recovery time or return to training or competition -
Tour de France 2023 – Analysing the contenders
As the Tour draws near, here's our latest form ranking for the yellow jersey contenders