For the past month, Spanish media outlets have been pushing rumors of an even hillier edition of the Vuelta a España in 2013, after ten uphill finales fueled a highly successful 2012 Vuelta, won by Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff). Now Spanish sporting website AS.com is reporting that the 2013 Vuelta will contain eleven uphill or summit finishes, which would be one more than last season.
While the official route isn’t presented until later in the month, the Spanish grand tour, spanning August 24th through September 15th, will follow a similar format as in 2012, when Contador, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) battled in a close race to the end. Rodriguez took three stages to Contador’s one, but the Katusha rider lost critical time on stage 17 to Fuente Dé, Contador’s lone victory. The Fuente Dé climb has been mentioned again for 2013, but its official inclusion is as yet uncertain.
While previous reports had the number of uphill finishes in the 2013 edition as high as thirteen, the number appears to be settled at eleven. It was also reported in December that the route would be heading back to the vaunted Angliru in one of the final stages, and this appears to be the case.
AS.com is reporting that the race will begin in the Galicia region, with climbs to the Alto da Groba and Mirador de Lobeira. There will be three hilltop finishes in the Andalucía region, on the Peñas Blancas, Valdepeñas de Jaén and Haza Llana. Three uphill finishes in the Pyrenees include La Gallina, Formigal and another. In Cantabria, the climb will either be Peña Cabarga or Fuente Dé, while the race is expected to finish in Asturias on the Naranco and the Angliru.
The Galicia region hosts the first five stages, including a team time trial between Vilanova de Arousa and Sanxenxo. After this comes the first two climbers finishes, Alto da Groba, finishing in Bayonne and Mirador de Lobeira, in Arousa. After the Andalucía summits, with finishes in Estepona and Güejar Sierra, should come an individual time trial in Tarazona. The Pyreneean finishes follow, including one on the Coll de la Gallina.
After the Cantabria region and at least one more summit finish, the Vuelta concludes in Asturias, with the final Saturday likely to serve up both the Naranco and the Angliru, which will decide everything heading to Madrid on Sunday.
Stay tuned to VeloNation as the 2013 Vuelta a España route will be officially announced on January 12th in Vigo, Spain.