Vuelta a España Stages 16 to 21 Route Preview: As we enter the third week of la Vuelta’24, Primoz Roglič is poised to take the overall lead, but Ben O’Connor is putting up a strong defence of his red jersey and Enric Mas, Richard Carapaz and Mikel Landa are all biting at his heels. The final week will be explosive – Here are the last stages.
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The best of the second week of la Vuelta a España 2024
Everyone always says the third week of all Grand Tours is the hardest and the Vuelta a España tries to prove it every year. Apart from the final time trial, all the stages are brutally hard. The Lagos de Covadonga don’t need an introduction, stage 16 will be a rude awakening after the second rest day. Stage 17 is described as flat, but the Cantabrian roads are either up or down, a day for Wout? The next three stages should decide this Vuelta with more ‘hills’ on Thursday and then mountains and summit finishes on Friday and Saturday.
Ben O’Connor intends to fight to the end
The 2024 Vuelta might just come down to the final tome trial to the centre of Madrid. There are no climbs in the 24.6 kilometres, but after three very hard weeks, the rider’s legs will be screaming at the thought of the solo effort. Well, the top men, the others will be ‘going through the motions’. By Sunday evening we will know who the final winner is, until then… enjoy the action.
Is Primoz Roglič waiting for the TT?
2024 Vuelta a España Week 3 Stages:
2/9 Rest day in Oviedo
Stage 16. Luanco – Lagos de Covadonga 181.3km mountains
Stage 17. Arnuero – Santander 141.5km flat
Stage 18. Vitoria Gasteiz – Maeztu 179.3km hilly
Stage 19. Logroño – Alto del Moncalvillo 173.2km mountains
Stage 20. Villarcayo – Picón Blanco 172.0km mountains
Stage 21. Madrid – Madrid 24.6km ITT
2024 Vuelta a España week 3 map
Stage 16
Tuesday 3 September, Luanco – Lagos de Covadonga (181km)
The sixteenth stage finishes at the Lagos de Covadonga. The start of the stage is in the Asturian coastal town of Luanco and then goes via the hilly northern Spanish coast past Gijón to the beautiful mountain range of the Picos de Europa. Before the final HC climb, there are two Cat.1 mountains. The first is the Mirador del Fito (7km at 8.1%) after 70 kilometres and the second, the Collada Llomenia (7.6km at 9.3%).
Stage 16 map
After the Llomenia there are 40 kilometres to the base of the Lagos de Covadonga for 12.5 kilometres to the glacial lakes Lago de Enol and Lago de Ercina. The Lagos de Covadonga (12.5km at 6.9%) and is a long hard climb. In the first 7 kilometres the road rises at 10%. The last part of this section has ramps of more than 15%. The last kilometres of the climb are a bit flatter and last part to the finish is downhill.
Stage 16 profile
Stage 17
Wednesday 4 September, Arnuero – Santander (143km)
In the middle of the tough final week, the sprinters are allowed to go for victory on stage 17. There are two Cat.2 climbs, but the last 50 kilometres of the stage are virtually flat.
Stage 17 profile
The stage starts in Arnuero and finishes in the Cantabrian capital of Santander. The first part of the start should be quite calm, but then the stage has a hilly zone between kilometres 40 and 70. This includes the Alto de la Estranguada (7.8km at 6.2%) and the Alto del Caracol (5.1km at 6.6%), both Cat.2. Nothing too severe, so the sprinters will probably be safe. After the Alto del Caracol it is mainly downhill and flat to the finish in Santander, where there should be a bunch sprint. The Vuelta has finished in Santander 35 times. The last stage finish was in 2003 and Alessandro Petacchi was the victor.
Stage 17 map
Stage 18
Thursday 5 September, Vitoria-Gasteiz – Maeztu (175km)
The Vuelta will be in the Basque Country for a day for stage 18, between Vittoria Gasteiz and Maeztu. This should be a stage for an escapees, with a few Basque climbs in the final. The start is in the Basque capital of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The biggest climbs in the stage are after 77 kilometres and 130 kilometres; the Alto de Rivas de Tereso (11.1km at 3.4%) and the Puerto Herrera (5.5km at 8.4%).
Stage 18 map
The second climb could cause a split. After the Puerto Herrera, there are 45 kilometres without any categorised climbs to the finish, but it is not flat. The road rises for 3 kilometres at 5%, 7.5 kilometres from the finish.
Stage 18 profile
Stage 19
Friday 6 September, Logroño – Alto de Moncalvillo (168km)
There are two major mountain stages before Madrid. The peloton leaves the Basque Country on Friday, but stays in the north of Spain in the Castile and Leon. Stage 19 has a summit, the first in the third week. After the start in Logroño, the 8 kilometre final climb to the Alto de Moncalvillo (11.3km at 7.6%) comes after 160 kilometres. There is also the Puerto de Pradilla, but this Cat.3 climb does not have any super-steep gradients. After the Puerto de Pradilla it is mainly downhill to the foot of the Alto de Moncalvillo.
The last time on the Alto de Moncalvillo
This climb is tough, with an average gradient of 7.6%. Towards the top the gradients are never below 10%. There should be a battle for the overall here.
Stage 19 profile
Stage 20
Saturday 7 September, Villarcayo – Picon Blanco (171km)
The last bunch stage is in the province of Burgos and has more than 4,000 metres of climbing. After 35 kilometres, the Las Estacas de Truebla (9.3km at 3.1%) is the first climb of the day, followed quickly by the Puerto de La Braguia (6.1km at 5.6%). These two climbs are the easiest of the day. After that, there are five Cat.1 or Cat.2 climbs in the last 100 kilometres. Halfway through the stage, the Alto del Caracol (10.5km at 5.5%), the Portillo de Lunada (14km at 6.2%) and the Portilla de la Sia (7.2km at 5.8%) will loosen the legs.
Stage 20 map
There is a long descent towards the finale, which starts with the Puerto de Los Tornos (13.2km at 5.4%). The riders will then have climbed over 3,000 metres, but without any insanely steep gradients, they will come later. In Espinosa de los Monteros, the final climb to Picon Blanco (7.6km at 9.2%) begins after 162.5 kilometres. This climb barely has any gradients below 10%, except in the first kilometre and the last kilometre. From kilometre 3.5, the climb becomes really tough, with sections approaching 20%.
Stage 20 profile
Stage 21
Sunday 8 September, Madrid – Madrid (22km, ITT)
After years of a sprint finish for the last stage, this year ends with a 22 kilometre time trial through the Spanish capital. The time trial route has no climbs as the centre of Madrid it is mostly flat. The time trial is also not particularly technical and is ridden in a southerly direction towards the centre.
Stage 21 profile
The start of the time trial is at the headquarters of the Spanish telecom giant Telefónica (Movistar), from where the riders will enter the old city centre via the M-612. After about 12 kilometres, the riders come into Madrid via the Tétuan district and will pass the Santiago Bernabéu football stadium.
Stage 21 map
Four kilometres from the finish there is the fountain of Cibele and then the boulevard Paseo del Prado. At the botanical gardens, 2 kilometres from the finish, the riders will make a 360-degree turn back to the Paseo del Prado and the fountain of Cibele and the finish is on the Gran Via. Who will be wearing the Red leader’s jersey? We will list the ‘Top Contenders’ soon.
No sprint in Madrid this year
The 2024 Vuelta a España route
See the best photos and race report of the final Vuelta stages on PEZ and catch up with all the news in EUROTRASH Monday and Thursday.
# Thanks to La Vuelta for the profiles and facts and PCS and WielerFlits for the other knowledge. #
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