Vuelta a España 2024 stage 6 preview - Unique route from grocery store aisles leads to new summit finish

Stage 6 of the Vuelta a España promises to be memorable. It is the second summit finish of the opening week and a third day of high temperatures, but it will be a first-time start from the aisles of a Carrefour retail store. Before the procession of four mountain climbs, the peloton, as well as the lead vehicle for Vuelta Race Director Fernando Escartín, will parade through the Carrefour Jerez Sur in Jerez de la Frontera. 

Yes, a neutral rollout from inside the hypermarket, where customers would typically pick up fruits and vegetables, will then continue outside for the early part of the route to pass vineyards that give this region the title as the sherry capital of the world. It marks a new milestone for the Vuelta as it etches a creative path to promote a 12-year sponsorship with Carrefour. The hypermarket will be specially reorganised and decorated just for the occasion.

Other unique venues used in the past 10 years at the Vuelta have included starts from a salt mountain (Torrevieja 2019) and a Navy aircraft carrier (Cádiz 2014). Routes have also passed through uncommon structures, including sports stadiums, a Roman amphitheatre, and a cathedral (Breda 2022).

This time after 25km beyond the checkout counters, climbing begins and the first ascent of four categorised peaks begins another 30km on at the base of the 14.7km Puerto del Boyar, with an average of 5.5%. 

“The difficulty of this edition’s second mountain stage is concentrated at the beginning and middle of the stage. From the start, the terrain will peak upwards until it reaches the Boyar mountain pass, a category 1 climb. Several category 3 climbs will add another layer of difficulty to the stage, prior to its final climb on the way to Yunquera. Escapes are expected to take place,” was the assessment provided by Escartín when the route was announced.

Once across the highest point of the day, at 1,108 metres, there is a long, bumpy descent across 37km to the next ramp, Puerto del Viento Desnivel (6.6km at 4.3%). That climb is really much longer, as the road climbs from Ronda for 4km to a false flat which marks an intermediate sprint, then kicks back up to Viento Desnivel. 

The Puerto Martinez (3.5km at 6.3%) hits with 16km remaining to the base of the final uphill section at Alozaina. From there, only 9.7km remains to the summit at Alto de las Abejas. Like the original start, this is the first time the race has finished at Yunquera, high in the Sierra de la Nieves.

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