A day for the smaller teams and those that have so far had no luck.
With three summit finishes ahead and the race’s hierarchy by now well established, expect the battle to get into today’s break to be particularly frantic. The lumpy terrain will bolster the escapees’ hopes, although the strong winds that frequently blow through this part of Spain may test their enthusiasm and strength as they near the finish in Tarazona.
The last of the three categorised climbs, the Alto de Moncayo, which featured in the 2013 time trial won by Fabian Cancellara, comes 35km from the finish and it may spur the peloton into a concerted pursuit if the breakaway’s lead is less than five minutes.
Javier Guillén (race director):
"This stage has three climbs, the last of which is the Moncayo. We chose this area because we know that the route through it will take a heavy toll. It was important for us to have the final climb very close to the finish, just 15-20km away, which should make a great sporting spectacle."
The text in this preview originally appeared in the September edition of Procycling magazine.
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