Monday's stage three of the Vuelta a Espana finishes on the Mirador de Ezaro summit finish, rated by some as one of the steepest climbs ever in the history of the Vuelta, with segments of 30 percent - even harder than anything the much-feared Angliru can offer - and averaging 13.8 percent.
The good news for the peloton is that the final climb and first of the Vuelta's 10 summit finishes is just 1.8 kilometres long, with riders usually taking between seven and eight minutes to climb it. The bad news, apart from the Ezaro itself, is the very hilly terrain that features the 176.4 kilometre stage 3, with nearly 3,000 metres of vertical climbing. Almost all of the real climbing is packed into the last 60 kilometres, too, with a third category and a second category ascent featuring on Galicia's constantly undulating roads prior to Ezaro.
The Vuelta reached the same summit for the first time in 2012, with the stage won by - who else? - uphill finish specialist Joaquim Rodriguez, extending his overall lead ahead of Alberto Contador, Alejandro Valverde and Robert Gesink. Chris Froome, fifth - like all of the top finishers barring the recently retired Rodriguez in this year's race - was dropped early on and lost 23 seconds on the ascent to 'Purito'.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ezaro formed part of the Vuelta route again in 2013, on a first week stage finishing on the coast in Fisterre, but was too far from the end of the stage to have much impact overall. (For the record that stage was won by Dani Moreno, whilst a certain Vincenzo Nibali was in his team bus and en route to his hotel when he learned he taken over the lead from US rider Chris Horner, boxed in in the final sprint for the line, and had to whizz back at top speed in a race organisation vehicle to take part in the post-stage ceremonies.)
Back in 2012, Galician former pro Ezequiel Mosquera recounted to the Faro de Vigo newspaper that "This climb has a segment of 300 metres which is more than tough, it's impossible." Mosquera recounted that the first riders to tackle the climb was a local club, the CC Noia in the early 1990s, using a 39x23 gear. However "most of them went up on foot - on foot and backwards, because it was impossible to go up walking forwards!"
- Contador loses early ground in Vuelta a Espana team time trial
- Froome delighted with strong start for Team Sky in Vuelta a Espana
- Vuelta a Espana stage 2 highlights - Video
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/2bfV99C
No comments:
Post a Comment