Revamped 2020 La Vuelta still visits the brutal slopes of the Tourmalet and the Angliru
Shortened Grand Tour stays in Spain with a final showdown on the Alto de la Covatilla before the run into Madrid
La Vuelta has unveiled the updated 2020 route with the Grand Tour staying in Spain.
The 2020 race is a total 18 stages and three thrilling weeks starting October 20 which culminates in Madrid on November 8.
The route still features cycling’s mythical Col de Tourmalet in France where Thibaut Pinot won a stage ahead of Julian Alaphilippe on the 2019 Tour de France.
Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic is the defending champion while runner up veteran Spaniard Alejandro Valverde is likely to race the Tour de France and the Olympics in July before retiring.
The 21-year-old Tadej Pogacar will be a focus of attention after winning three stages, the white jersey and finishing third overall on his breakout Vuelta last September.
A traditionally gruelling race, in its 75th edition, the route includes 6 mountain top finishes, as well as 7 stages that feature medium to high mountains in Spain.
There will be 4 flat stages, and 13 hilly and mountain stages, as well as one individual time trial.
Six Uphill Finishes will Suit the Pure Climbers
Roglic dominated his rivals in the time-trials last year and the 2020 route should suit him.
With fearsome summit finishes posted at the top of the La Laguna Negra, Tourmalet, Moncalvillo, La Farrapona, Angliru and La Covatilla, Roglic will have much to fear from the mountain climbers.
Stage 6 and 8 offer brutal mountain challenges, with the former posing a 19km climb of the Col du Tourmalet at a gradient of 7.4 per cent and the latter finishing at Moncalvillo after a 15km climb, the last eight kilometres at an unforgiving 9.2 per cent.
A short stage 12 featured three 1st category and two 3rd category climbs culminating on the angry slopes of the L’Angliru which will again, be the judge of La Vuelta, sentencing those who have a bad day and crowning those who continue to fight for the ultimate victory.
Stage 17 brings the final summit finish at La Covatilla.
The sprint to the line in Madrid will conclude at the Plaza de Cibeles at the end of stage 18.
2020 La Vuelta a Espana Stages
Stage | Date | Start/Finish | Distance |
1 | Tuesday, October 20 | Irùn to Arrate-Eibar | 169.5km |
2 | Wednesday, October 21 | Pamplona to Lekunberri | 151km |
3 | Thursday, October 22 | Lodosa to La Laguna Negra de Vinuesa | 163km |
4 | Friday, October 23 | Garray. Numancia to Ejea de los Caballeros | 190km |
5 | Saturday, October 24 | Huesca to Sabiñánigo | 185km |
6 | Sunday, October 25 | Biescas to Col du Tourmalet | 135km |
Rest Day | Monday, October 26 | ||
7 | Tuesday, October 27 | Vitoria Gasteiz to Villanueva de Valdegovia | 160km |
8 | Wednesday, October 28 | Logroño to Alto de Moncalvillo | 164km |
9 | Thursday, October 29 | Castrillo del Val to Aguilar de Campoo | 163km |
10 | Friday, October 30 | Castro Urdiales to Suances | 187km |
11 | Saturday, October 31 | Villaviciosa to Alto de la Farrapona | 170km |
12 | Sunday, November 1 | La Pola Llaviana to Alto de l’Angliru | 109km |
Rest day | Monday, November 2 | ||
13 | Tuesday, November 3 | Muros to Mirador de Ézaro Dumbría | 33.5km (ITT) |
14 | Wednesday, November 4 | Lugo to Ourense | 205km |
15 | Thursday, November 5 | Mos to Puebla De Sanabria | 234.6km |
16 | Friday, November 6 | Salamanca to Ciudad Rodrigo | 162km |
17 | Saturday, November 7 | Sequeros to Alto de la Covatilla | 175.8km |
18 | Sunday, November 8 | Hipódromo de la Zarzuela to Madrid | 125km |