Vuelta a España 2020: Stage 13 preview

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Stage 13: Muros to Mirador de Ézaro. Dumbría

Date: November 3, 2020

Distance: 33.7km

Stage start: 1:33 pm CEST

Stage finish: 5:20 pm

Stage type: Individual Time Trial

After a rest day in A Coruña, racing recommences with the Vuelta’s only time trial. It’s a very intriguing test between the coastal town of Muros and third-category summit of the Mirador de Ézaro, where Catalan climber Joaquim Rodríguez won on the opening day of the 2012 edition.

The 33.7km course begins by running around the peninsula to the west of the picturesque fishing town of Muros, remaining very close to sea level. Any difficulty on the opening section will come from the wind, which is likely to gust off the Atlantic from the west, or perhaps from the north-west. As a consequence, the riders will have it blowing across them or even as a direct headwind for a substantial part of the route.

Much like the La Planche des Belles Filles time trial on the last weekend of the Tour de France, the riders will face a choice when they get to the climb and toward the finish. Although the ascent to the Mirador de Ézaro is only 1.8km in length, it averages 14.8 per cent and there may be an advantage to be gained from switching to a road bike from a time trial set-up at the foot of it.

On a course that already favours them, this should suit the time trial specialists even more, and notably defending champion Primož Roglič. Other names to watch include Jumbo-Visma’s Tom Dumoulin, winner of the equivalent time trial in the 2015 race and, if he’s back to his best, two-time Vuelta champion Chris Froome, twice a winner of Vuelta time trials of a similar distance to this.