La Vuelta 2021 - Stage 6: Requena > Alto de la Montaña de Cullera - 158,3 km **Spoilers**

Stage 6: Requena > Alto de la Montaña de Cullera - 158,3 km

19-08-2021
Start time 12-55pm


Ah, only in La Vuelta!
At the end of a mostly flat or downhill 158.3 kilometres, the riders face a punchy finish climb with double digit ramps. The stage starts at Requena, towards the edge of Spain’s high central plateau, located at an elevation of almost 700 metres. The Vuelta a España reaches the Mediterranean Sea at the resort of Cullera, just south of Valencia, where the finish line is perched adjacent to the castle that overlooks the town.



The first half of the route goes predominantly downhill, although the riders tackle some minor climbs along the way, though and no KOM points are available.
The route reaches sea level after 75kms, continues into the city of Valencia and then to the intermediate sprint at Pinedo. The first passage through Cullera comes with 30km remaining, then continues on the flat circuit, back towards the finish climb.



The Montaña de Cullera, known locally as “la subida de la Bola” for the spherical meteorological station at its summit, extends for 3 kilometres, although the riders will only be tackling the first two-thirds of it. Averaging 9.4 per cent with a brief section at twice that.





This is ideal breakaway country, especially as the final climb is too hard for most of the sprinters to have a chance of success and not hard enough to split the GC contenders by more than a few seconds.

Favourites 6th stage 2021 Vuelta a España

*** Primoz Roglic, Alejandro Valverde, Adam Yates
** Richard Carapaz, Egan Bernal, Giulio Ciccone, Andrea Bagioli, Tom Pidcock
* Romain Bardet, Mauri Vansevenant, Clément Champoussin

Requena

1 stage of La Vuelta
20.405 inhabitants
It has been almost five years since Danish rider Magnus Cort Nielsen gained his first victory in a three-week race. That stage of La Vuelta 16 also left from Requena, headed towards Gandía. In 2021, the Valencian fortress, walled enclosure and defensive bastions of the Christian and Arab kingdoms that date back as far as the 12th century, will once again watch the Spanish tour’s peloton ride past, this time headed to Cullera.



Alto de la Montaña de Cullera

1 stage of La Vuelta
22.521 inhabitants
Cullera is part of La Vuelta’s most recent memories, having provided the setting for a stage departure in 2019. However, the one and only stage finale ever to be held there took place as far back as 1980. That day’s big winner was a history-making Sean Kelly, who obtained the fourth of his 16 La Vuelta stage victories. The illustrious winner crossed the finish-line at the Cullera Castle that watches over everything taking place in the Cullera territory from its privileged position.



Arroz Valenciana
Arroz Valenciana is a hearty and tasty Filipino dish made of glutinous rice, coconut milk, chicken, Chorizo de Bilbao, and saffron. Colorful and festive, it’s perfect for holidays and special occasions



Valencian wines tend to be intense, with body, structure and a relatively high alcohol content. Within the general region, one can distinguish seven or eight main wine producing areas, each with its own specific topography, climate, and very often its own dominant grape variety, resulting in an array of very different wines.
















"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments

  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183
    I'll comment anyway so you know your efforts are appreciated.
    Arroz Valencia and a glass of white, with a nice view of the castle, would be a nice evening.
  • exlaser
    exlaser Posts: 268
    Great background info , as always . Many thanks 😀
    Van Nicholas Ventus
    Rose Xeon RS
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,259
    I'd rate Valencia as one of the top five cities I've been to. Probably top three and a challenger for the top spot.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,440
    Strong.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200
    Could be a chance of echelons on the circuit they do twice. Worth concentrating for the 50km.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,676
    "Hey, Primoz, come to the Vuelta again - we've made a stage that looks like a ski jump for you!"
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Added complication that he might not want to take the lead so early
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    I think roglic may have it thrust on him
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200
    Would be a good day to have had coverage from the start. No break formed yet by the sounds.

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200
    The irony is that everybody wanting to get in the break will mean the break doesn't get far enough clear before the peloton gets nervous and speeds up with 50km to go.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200
    And we have live coverage starting just at the point that nothing happens.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    This the same climb Tom D did well on?
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,615

    This the same climb Tom D did well on?

    I think you're thinking of cumbre del sol
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200
    Doomed break has 3:20 with 38km to go, pace about to go up in the peloton.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200
    Here. We. Go.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,676
    ECHELONS KLAXON!
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    Klaxon time.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200
    If you want an idea where they are rather than where Carlton thinks they are, go here: https://racecenter.lavuelta.es/en/livetracking/6
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,530
    Blowing apart. Yates has lost the first group.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,530
    Narrow roads might put an end to this though. Leader caught in second group.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200
    They do this bit all over again, it's going to be even more stressful second time round.
  • when do movistar start pushing each other into the gutter?
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200

    when do movistar start pushing each other into the gutter?

    Once they've dropped Carapaz.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200
    Hugh Carthy in big trouble here, I think.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,440

    Hugh Carthy in big trouble here, I think.

    Just tuned in - looks like he's being brought back by the rest of EF?
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200

    Hugh Carthy in big trouble here, I think.

    Just tuned in - looks like he's being brought back by the rest of EF?
    He got lucky by the peloton knocking it back a bit. And his team did a great job.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,676
    Rolf Sørensen is getting over excited with Magnus Cort in the break.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    Don't think the breakaway will stay away...
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,440
    Ineos drilling it
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,200
    This is a really good stage. Still think the break is doomed.