The Angliru may be the obvious absentee from the itinerary in Asturias but this stage highlights the fact that there are many more great tests that can be set in this, Spain's main dairy-producing region. This is billed as the race's queen stage although the penultimate day to Ancares is perhaps even tougher. There are five cat 1 climbs, the Cordal, Cobertoria and San Lorenzo being regulars on the Vuelta route.
The Farrapona has only featured once before, back in 2011, when Sky duo Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome appeared to be closing in on a 1 2 GC finish when they kept their rivals in check as Rein Taaramäe won the stage atop the 17km Farrapona. With neither Wiggins nor Froome riding the Tour, will both reappear here?
Javier Guillén says: "The Farrapona starts off easy enough but gets serious in its final 5km. This section averages between eight and 10 per cent. With four passes before this, there's going to be a real battle and it should be spectacular both from the sporting and scenic perspective."
Copyright: lavuelta.com
-
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Gavere: Mathieu van der Poel fends off Thibau Nys to take win number four
Nys, Tibor del Grosso round out the podium -
'For 45 minutes I lay in a stationary ambulance' - Filippo Baroncini says he 'nearly went blind' due to Tour de Pologne crash
Italian reveals delays to his treatment after serious crash -
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Gavere: unstoppable Lucinda Brand continues to rule supreme as Fouquenet impresses again
Pieterse rounds out podium as Dutch veteran overcomes crash-blighted start to go clear for solo victory after second of six laps -
'The best day of his career' - Brutal defeat of Tadej Pogačar on Col de la Loze in 2023 Tour de France revealed massive inner resilience, say UAE management
UAE Team Emirates-XRG CEO Mauro Gianetti praises Slovenian's ability to fight back from defeats
