La Vuelta 2019, Stage 15: Tineo > Santuario del Acebo 08/09/2019 - 154,4 km *Spoilers*
blazing_saddles
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La Vuelta 2019, Stage 15: Tineo > Santuario del Acebo 08/09/2019 - 154,4 km
The 15th stage of La Vuelta travels over three intermediate climbs before finishing near the Santuario del Acebo. The route amounts to 154.4 kilometres and the last climb is brutal: 7.9 kilometres at 9.7%. The second week of La Vuelta is the toughest of the three. Stage 15 is in a sense emblematic of week 2, although it starts out rather friendly.
Relatively speaking, these first two are gentle ascents, not something that can be said of the final two.
After a flat opening the riders get a first taste of the final climb at kilometre 24. Or so it seems. The Puerto del Acebo is situated very near the final climb, but is in fact a different ascent. The first Acebo climb of the day is 8.2 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 7.1%.
The route continues to the Puerto del Connio, which is a regular ascent of 11.7 kilometres at 6.2%. The riders then fly down a long descent to San Antolín de Ibias.
It does not take long for the third mountain to introduce itself. Puerto del Pozo de las Mujeres Muertas is an irregular climb of 11.3 kilometres. The average gradient sits at 6.8%, which is a wildly misleading statistic. The climb serves a dizzying mix of false flats, double digit sectors and short descents.
Another long descent flies back down to Cangas de Narcea, where the riders tackled the first Acebo climb earlier. In fact, it is today’s third passage in the oldest municipality of Asturias and this time the ensuing climb is going to be decisive. The ascent to the Santuario del Acebo is extremely challenging: 7.9 kilometres long and with an average gradient of 9.7%. But the climb also serves some flat sections and even a short descent. So you can do the maths. The ultimate climb of the 15th stage is a beast with sections up to 15%.
Favourites 15th stage 2019 Vuelta a España
This terrain is not suited for steady climbers and we are likely to see the lightweights come to the fore. On the other hand, it may be so steep that nobody is able to get away. The GC riders will put each other to the test in the finale of the 15th stage, but we cannot be not sure this will be for the stage win. Given the course, a breakaway of strong climbers could very well tackle the Sanctuario del Acebo climb with such a margin that the stage winner will turn out to be in the lead group.
*** Marc Soler, Pierre Latour, Mikel Nieve, Primoz Roglic, Tadej Pogacar
** Nairo Quintana, Rafał Majka, Alejandro Valverde
* Wout Poels, Jésus Herrada, Bruno Armirail, Felix Großschartner
Tineo
Unprecedented departure
9,700 inhabitants.
Tineo is the second largest council in the Principality of Asturias. With its deeply rooted mining tradition, this area is a good example of how life has revolved around this activity for centuries. Testifying to this is the gold museum - Museo del Oro de Navelgas. The exhibits tell the story of how the gold industry developed from the Roman era through to more recent times.
Santuario del Acebo
Unprecedented Vuelta finale
Dating from 1575 there is a record, according to the chroniclers of the time, of the first miracle worked by Our Lady of Acebo. It occurred on 8th September, when a little girl attended mass where the sanctuary now stands and she was cured of an illness she had suffered since birth. On that same day, almost 450 years later, the peloton will have to make a leap of faith to overcome the steep slopes that lead up to the chapel. This mountain pass is making its first appearance on La Vuelta’s route, but it is a popular landmark and often visited by the region’s own Vuelta a Asturias.
The 15th stage of La Vuelta travels over three intermediate climbs before finishing near the Santuario del Acebo. The route amounts to 154.4 kilometres and the last climb is brutal: 7.9 kilometres at 9.7%. The second week of La Vuelta is the toughest of the three. Stage 15 is in a sense emblematic of week 2, although it starts out rather friendly.
Relatively speaking, these first two are gentle ascents, not something that can be said of the final two.
After a flat opening the riders get a first taste of the final climb at kilometre 24. Or so it seems. The Puerto del Acebo is situated very near the final climb, but is in fact a different ascent. The first Acebo climb of the day is 8.2 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 7.1%.
The route continues to the Puerto del Connio, which is a regular ascent of 11.7 kilometres at 6.2%. The riders then fly down a long descent to San Antolín de Ibias.
It does not take long for the third mountain to introduce itself. Puerto del Pozo de las Mujeres Muertas is an irregular climb of 11.3 kilometres. The average gradient sits at 6.8%, which is a wildly misleading statistic. The climb serves a dizzying mix of false flats, double digit sectors and short descents.
Another long descent flies back down to Cangas de Narcea, where the riders tackled the first Acebo climb earlier. In fact, it is today’s third passage in the oldest municipality of Asturias and this time the ensuing climb is going to be decisive. The ascent to the Santuario del Acebo is extremely challenging: 7.9 kilometres long and with an average gradient of 9.7%. But the climb also serves some flat sections and even a short descent. So you can do the maths. The ultimate climb of the 15th stage is a beast with sections up to 15%.
Favourites 15th stage 2019 Vuelta a España
This terrain is not suited for steady climbers and we are likely to see the lightweights come to the fore. On the other hand, it may be so steep that nobody is able to get away. The GC riders will put each other to the test in the finale of the 15th stage, but we cannot be not sure this will be for the stage win. Given the course, a breakaway of strong climbers could very well tackle the Sanctuario del Acebo climb with such a margin that the stage winner will turn out to be in the lead group.
*** Marc Soler, Pierre Latour, Mikel Nieve, Primoz Roglic, Tadej Pogacar
** Nairo Quintana, Rafał Majka, Alejandro Valverde
* Wout Poels, Jésus Herrada, Bruno Armirail, Felix Großschartner
Tineo
Unprecedented departure
9,700 inhabitants.
Tineo is the second largest council in the Principality of Asturias. With its deeply rooted mining tradition, this area is a good example of how life has revolved around this activity for centuries. Testifying to this is the gold museum - Museo del Oro de Navelgas. The exhibits tell the story of how the gold industry developed from the Roman era through to more recent times.
Santuario del Acebo
Unprecedented Vuelta finale
Dating from 1575 there is a record, according to the chroniclers of the time, of the first miracle worked by Our Lady of Acebo. It occurred on 8th September, when a little girl attended mass where the sanctuary now stands and she was cured of an illness she had suffered since birth. On that same day, almost 450 years later, the peloton will have to make a leap of faith to overcome the steep slopes that lead up to the chapel. This mountain pass is making its first appearance on La Vuelta’s route, but it is a popular landmark and often visited by the region’s own Vuelta a Asturias.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments
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Hope the stage is as good as the scenery will be.0
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Incredibly soft break for such a stage. Movistar clearly not happy. Moves aplenty coming on the first climb, I think."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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An unexpectedly clear afternoon means I can settle in and watch this with a beer or two. Marvellous.0
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This stage just isn't working.
The climbs are too far apart and the last climb too hard.
Even Rob Hatch is starting to get frustrated by the lack of action."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Roglic looking solid here.0
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Roglic taps another nail into this dead GT's coffin.
Kuss adding another win to Jumbo's dreamy season."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
It’s a weird one isn’t it?Blazing Saddles wrote:Roglic taps another nail into this dead GT's coffin.0 -
If Sepp Kuss wants to behave like that he should be made to go for a run now."Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0
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Ah, that was great to watch. Nice to see someone enjoying it.gsk82 wrote:If Sepp Kuss wants to behave like that he should be made to go for a run now.0 -
Nice win that, he enjoyed it and the fans enjoyed it too.
Roglic looking really good.It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.0 -
Is this the least number of posts ever for a grand tour summit finish stage?0
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The fat lady can sing all she likes now. Zzzzzzzzzz0
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DeadCalm wrote:
It was. Until you ruined it.r0bh wrote:Is this the least number of posts ever for a grand tour summit finish stage?
tbf the way the stage was being trailed, Chaves was even telling Eurosport it was the Queen stage of the race,I was expecting a bit more than that,I saw the start, went out for a 3hr ride, came back and there were only 5 posts, its like wth happened other than not alot ?0 -
As everyone says the race seems to be sewn up baring incidents that no one wants to happen.0
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This still sounds like one of those ‘tomatoes are fruit’ type facts.RichN95 wrote:87 Grand Tour stages since Ineos won one. At least they had a good go today.0 -
I’d this is the final top three it seems fair. So what do we do for the next week?0
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...which suggests they have a great A team but no strength in depth.
Anyway, let's up the post count for a yumbo win. Surprised that they could spare Kuss. Perhaps they are not so worried about the opposition now, or that the stage was not to biggy it looked in profile.Half man, Half bike0 -
DeadCalm wrote:
Clutching at straws, there's still a competition for the white jersey.BM5 wrote:As everyone says the race seems to be sewn up baring incidents that no one wants to happen.
That's still worth watching and could be a battle right up until the finish of stage 20.
Meanwhile though, even the Spanish press have signed off on the overall, "Valverde Solo" being one headline.DeadCalm wrote:
They're rubbish aren't they? And yet they've won 50% of the Grand Tours completed since that stage victory, getting two riders on the podium on each occasion they have won.RichN95 wrote:87 Grand Tour stages since Ineos won one. At least they had a good go today.
That stat expires in one week."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Go...Half man, Half bike0
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... YumboHalf man, Half bike0
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... GoHalf man, Half bike0
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BM5 wrote:As everyone says the race seems to be sewn up baring incidents that no one wants to happen.
…also the quality of the field is poor. Valverde’s second place speaks for itself.
Still, lots of good sub-plots and great to have a high-fiving yank brightening things up.0
