There was no time to recover after the drama of the Angliru. On Saturday, the Vuelta a España continues its brutal weekend in Asturias with a summit finish at La Farrapona, only the fourth time the race has climbed here.
The stage begins in Avilés on the Bay of Biscay and runs just 136 km, but the short distance hides the difficulty. The opening hour is relatively flat by Spanish standards, with rolling terrain where the day’s break could establish itself.
The first major test is the Alto Tenebreo, 5.8 km at just over six per cent. From there, the route plunges into a descent before rising toward the Puerto de San Llaurenziu, a punishing ascent where the gradients bite hardest in the final kilometres.
A brief valley road leads straight into the day’s finale: the 16.8 km climb to La Farrapona. The early ramps are inconsistent, but the final six kilometres never dip below eight per cent, a section where the general classification favourites will be forced into action.
La Farrapona has crowned big names in the past — including Alberto Contador in 2014 — and another decisive battle is expected before the second rest day finally arrives.
Jonas Vingegaard is still wearing the red jersey, although he said he wished he had taken the legendary stage on Friday. João Almeida managed to outkick the Dane on a fast little finish after an epic climb. “I’m left with mixed feelings,” he said. “I really wanted to win today. The team did everything to set me up, but to be fair, João deserved it. He was unbelievably strong. I gave everything I had, but I’m a little disappointed.”
There are still several days which could affect the GC, including the Stage 18 TT.
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