A stage the Spanish describe as rompepiernas, or leg-breaking.
The road bumps constantly up and down for the first two thirds, with two much larger bumps to follow in the final third. The category 3 Alto de Baeza won’t disturb the serene progress of the favourites but the first-time finish on the Alto de Cazorla might trouble some of them. The climb has two very different aspects. It rises steadily for almost 20km before a sharp descent that leads straight onto a very steep 2km up to the finish.
Fernando Escartín (two-time Vuelta runner-up):
"You’d be right to describe this as rompepiernas. Once again there are constant undulations but I don’t suspect that the gaps between the main contenders will be all that big. The uphill finish will suit riders such as Joaquim Rodríguez and Alejandro Valverde."
The text in this preview originally appeared in the September edition of Procycling magazine.
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'I had no idea what I was in for' – Tracey Gaudry looks back on a crucial moment in Melbourne to Warrnambool history in this 'Wheel Life 3' book extract
Inside that 1994 edition when Gaudry added her name to the, at the time very short, Melbourne to Warrnambool women's finishers list -
'Sidequest' - Noah Hobbs saved by local fan after getting lost during Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
British rider benefits from the kindness of strangers -
'I was a bit exhausted in the final stages' - Bad luck spoils defending champion Jasper Philipsen's day in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
Alpecin-Premier Tech racer forced to settle for 18th after getting boxed in behind Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe -
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All the tech from both races at Opening Weekend
