Former pro Joaquim Rodriguez is convinced that the final ultra-difficult mountain stage 20 of the 2018 Vuelta a España, that finishes on the Coll de la Gallina in Andorra, will not mean riders race more conservatively in the three preceding weeks.
"A rider, whenever he sees an opportunity, will go for it, whether it's Caminito del Rey or the last stage of the Vuelta," Rodriguez, a resident of Andorra, told a small group of reporters during the 2018 Vuelta presentation on Saturday. "You have to take a chance whenever you can, because it won't come back. They won't be hanging on, waiting for that last stage."
The last time the Vuelta visited Andorra was on stage 3 last year. Vincenzo Nibali won the stage, while Chris Froome moved into the overall lead, and he ended up winning the overall title. This year, the stage comes just 24 hours before the finish in Madrid, and so Andorra will be a sort of last-chance climbing saloon.
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"This last stage will not just decide the winner, but a lot of positions overall," Rodriguez said. "You could be in fourth and that could change. It reminds me of the last stage they did in the 2013 Tour de France, which was also short and without a metre of flat."
Stage 20 of the 2013 Tour de France was 125 kilometres and went up the little-used climb of Semnoz, near Annecy. It saw a lot of GC changes beneath the overall winner Froome. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) won the stage and Rodriguez gained two places overall to move onto the final podium, his only top-three Tour finish in a career which also saw him take Grand Tour podiums in the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.
This year's Vuelta a España mountain stage in Andorra has distinct echoes of stage 11 of the 2015 edition. At the time, Movistar manager Eusebio Unzue dubbed it the "hardest-ever Grand Tour stage", which was ultimately won by Mikel Landa.
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