3 Grand Tours For Teenage Cancer Trust

3 Grand Tours For Teenage Cancer Trust

One Man. One Cycle. Three Big Challenges.

3 Grand Tours For Teenage Cancer Trust

2013 Vuelta a España

Like it was the previous year, the third and final grand tour of the season was one for the climbers with no fewer than 11 summit finales. Unlike the previous year, which stayed only in the northern half of the country, the 2013 edition visited nearly every corner of Spain plus a return to France for the 232 km “queen stage” over four first-category climbs in the Pyrénées.

The route swept 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 took the race to Catalunya and into the Pyrénées before the final push across the Cantabrian mountains in the third week to complete a very demanding and punishing course.

There were 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 included 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 tackled 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 saw 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 saw 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 continued right up until the penultimate stage up the horrific L’Anglirú with weather that is often poor and ramps as steep as 27 percent.

17th August - 8th September

3,331 km
125h 40' 05"
26.5 km/h

2013 Vuelta Stages

24/8 S01 Vilanova de Arousa / Sanxenxo 27.4 km
25/8 S02 Pontevedra / Baiona. Alto do Monte da Groba 177.7 km
26/8 S03 Vigo / Mirador de Lobeira/Vilagarcía de Arousa 184.8 km
27/8 S04 Lalín/A Estrada / Fisterra. La Etapa del Fin del Mundo 189 km
28/8 S05 Sober / Lago de Sanabria 174.3 km
29/8 S06 Guijuelo / Cáceres 175 km
30/8 S07 Almendralejo / Mairena del Aljarafe 205.9 km
31/8 S08 Jerez de la Frontera / Estepona. Alto Peñas Blancas 166.6 km
01/9 S09 Antequera / Valdepeñas de Jaén 163.7 km
02/9 S10 Torredelcampo / Güéjar Sierra. Alto de Hazallanas 186.8 km
03/9 Rest day
04/9 S11 Tarazona / Tarazona 38.8 km
05/9 S12 Maella / Tarragona 164.2 km
06/9 S13 Valls / Castelldefels 169 km
07/9 S14 Bagà / Andorra. Collada de la Gallina 155.7 km
08/9 S15 Andorra / Peyragudes 224.9 km
10/9 S16 Graus / Sallent de Gállego. Aramón Formigal 146.8 km
11/9 Rest day
04/9 S17 Calahorra / Burgos 189 km
12/9 S18 Burgos / Peña Cabarga 186.5 km
13/9 S19 San Vicente de la Barquera / Oviedo. Alto del Naranco 181 km
14/9 S20 Avilés / Alto de L´Angliru 142.2 km
15/9 S21 Leganés / Madrid 109.6 km
 
 
 
 
 
 
24/8 S01 Vilanova de Arousa / Sanxenxo 27.4 km
25/8 S02 Pontevedra / Baiona. Alto do Monte da Groba 177.7 km
26/8 S03 Vigo / Mirador de Lobeira/Vilagarcía de Arousa 184.8 km
27/8 S04 Lalín/A Estrada / Fisterra. La Etapa del Fin del Mundo 189 km
28/8 S05 Sober / Lago de Sanabria 174.3 km
29/8 S06 Guijuelo / Cáceres 175 km
30/8 S07 Almendralejo / Mairena del Aljarafe 205.9 km
31/8 S08 Jerez de la Frontera / Estepona. Alto Peñas Blancas 166.6 km
01/9 S09 Antequera / Valdepeñas de Jaén 163.7 km
02/9 S10 Torredelcampo / Güéjar Sierra. Alto de Hazallanas 186.8 km
03/9 Rest day
04/9 S11 Tarazona / Tarazona 38.8 km
05/9 S12 Maella / Tarragona 164.2 km
06/9 S13 Valls / Castelldefels 169 km
07/9 S14 Bagà / Andorra. Collada de la Gallina 155.7 km
08/9 S15 Andorra / Peyragudes 224.9 km
10/9 S16 Graus / Sallent de Gállego. Aramón Formigal 146.8 km
11/9 Rest day
04/9 S17 Calahorra / Burgos 189 km
12/9 S18 Burgos / Peña Cabarga 186.5 km
13/9 S19 San Vicente de la Barquera / Oviedo. Alto del Naranco 181 km
14/9 S20 Avilés / Alto de L´Angliru 142.2 km
15/9 S21 Leganés / Madrid 109.6 km

Actual race dates – my ride dates were 7 days earlier