Blog Post

Yesterday in Vigo – a city and municipality situated in north-west Spain in the autonomous community of Galicia – organisers of the 68th edition of the Vuelta a España finally revealed the 2013 route and it would be fair to say that it may well be one of the hardest ever seen. It begins on Saturday 24th August in Galicia’s rugged Rias Baixas regions and will take an anti-clockwise route around Spain.

With the exception of a rare summit finish in France on stage 15, at the ski resort Peyragudes, it’s going to be an entirely Spanaish Vuelta. And for this, the third and final Grand Tour of the year, the race will see a record number 11 summit finishes, one more than last year. No question about it, it’s going to be a hard race, really hard, right the way through.

Unlike last year, which stayed only in the northern half of the country, this year’s edition takes in nearly every corner of Spain. The route sweeps counterclockwise across Spain, starting with five days in northwest Spain in Galicia, along the narrow fiords called “rias baixas”, before turning south through the desolate region around Lago de Sanabria, home to some of Spain’s last surviving wild wolves, toward Andalucia.

A long transfer during the second week takes the race to Catalunya and into the Pyrénées before the final push across the Cantabrian mountains in the third week to complete the very demanding and punishing course.

There are two rolling time trials – a 27 km team time trial on the opening day, and a 38 km individual time trial on stage 11.

Key mountain stages include a first-category finale up Alto de Groba on stage 2 followed by a Cat. 3 finale to the top of Mirador de Lobeira the following day. Stage 4 tackles the short but brutal Mirador de Ézaro with ramps as steep as 30 percent, making it one of Europe’s steepest roads. Stages 8, 9 and 10 see three straight uphill finales at the Cat. 1 Peñas Blancas, Cat. 2 Valdepeñas de Jaén and the “especíal” summit category at Hazallanas.

Stages 14, 15 and 16 see three more demanding mountain days with stage 14 ending atop the La Gallina climb in Andorra, stage 15 pushing into France with four first-category climbs, including the Peyragudes summit finale, and stage 16 concluding with the grinding climb to the Formigal ski area. The punishment continues right up until the penultimate stage up the horrific L’Anglirú with weather that is often poor and ramps as steep as 27 percent.

Stage 1 Date: Saturday 24th August, 2013 Start: Vilanova de Arousa Finish: Sanxenxo Distance: 27 km Terrain: Team Time Trial Profile: Click here

Stage 2 Date: Sunday 25th August, 2013 Start: Pontevedra Finish: Monte da Groba Distance: 176.8 km Terrain: Medium Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 3 Date: Monday 26th August, 2013 Start: Vigo Finish: Mirador de Lobeira Distance: 172.5 km Terrain: Flat Profile: Click here

Stage 4 Date: Tuesday 27th August, 2013 Start: Lalín Finish: Fisterra Distance: 186.5 km Terrain: Medium Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 5 Date: Wednesday 28th August, 2013 Start: Sober Finish: Lago de Sanabria Distance: 168.4 km Terrain: Medium Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 6 Date: Thursday 29th August, 2013 Start: Guijuelo Finish: Cáceres Distance: 177.3 km Terrain: Flat Profile: Click here

Stage 7 Date: Friday 30th August, 2013 Start: Almendralejo Finish: Mairena del Aljarafe Distance: 195.5 km Terrain: Flat Profile: Click here

Stage 8 Date: Saturday 31st August, 2013 Start: Jerez de la Frontera Finish: Alto de Peñas Blancas Distance: 170 km Terrain: High Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 9 Date: Sunday 1st September, 2013 Start: Antequera Finish: Valdepeñas de Jaén Distance: 174.3 km Terrain: Medium Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 10 Date: Monday 2nd September, 2013 Start: Torre del Campo Finish: Alto de Hazallanas Distance: 175.5 km Terrain: High Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 11 Date: Wednesday 4th September, 2013 Start: Tarazona Finish: Tarazona Distance: 38 km Terrain: Individual Time Trial Profile: Click here

Stage 12 Date: Thursday 5th September, 2013 Start: Maella Finish: Tarragona Distance: 157 km Terrain: Flat Profile: Click here

Stage 13 Date: Friday 6th September, 2013 Start: Valls Finish: Castelldefels Distance: 165 km Terrain: Medium Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 14 Date: Saturday 7th September, 2013 Start: Bagà  Finish: Coll de la Gallina Distance: 164 km Terrain: High Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 15 Date: Sunday 8th September, 2013 Start: Andorra Finish: Peyragudes Distance: 232.5 km Terrain: High Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 16 Date: Monday 9th September, 2013 Start: Graus Finish: Formigal Distance: 147.7 km Terrain: Medium Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 17 Date: Wednesday 11th September, 2013 Start: Calahorra Finish: Burgos Distance: 184.5 km Terrain: Flat Profile: Click here

Stage 18 Date: Thursday 12th September, 2013 Start: Burgos Finish: Peña Cabarga Distance: 186 km Terrain: Medium Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 19 Date: Friday 13th September, 2013 Start: San Vicente de la Barquera Finish: Alto del Naranco Distance: 177.5 km Terrain: Medium Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 20 Date: Saturday 14th September, 2013 Start: Avilés Finish: Alto de L’Angliru Distance: 144.1 km Terrain: High Mountains Profile: Click here

Stage 21 Date: Sunday 15th September, 2013 Start: Leganés Finish: Madrid Distance: 99.1 km Terrain: Flat Profile: Click here