La Vuelta 2022 - Stage 12:- Salobreña - Peñas Blancas. Estepona 192.7kms ***Spoilers***

Stage 12:- Salobreña - Peñas Blancas. Estepona 192.7kms

September 1, 2022
Start Time 12-25CET.

Stage 12 of the Vuelta is all about the final 19km, which brings the race from the coastal resort of Estepona to a stiff summit finish atop the Alto de Peñas Blancas. It’s the longest stage of the entire Vuelta a España mainland, mostly travelling on the flat roads along the south coast. The preceding 170km across the province of Málaga amount to little more than a preamble to this tough finishing climb.



The first part of the route is undulating before the route flattens out after Nerja. It stays like that until Málaga and then the riders turn right for an inland, to enter more lumpy terrain. The climbing intensifies in Coín and after reaching the summit in Ojén the route descends into Marbella. Another 27 kilometres on the flat lead to Estepona, which is where the finish climb begins.
Leopold König won on this ascent when the Vuelta visited in 2013, Alejandro Valverde took the spoils in the Ruta del Sol of 2016, although an additional 4km have been added to the climb this time out.



The Climb:

Peñas Blancas is an ascent of 19 kilometres long with an average gradient of 6.7%. It’s extra special as the ascent virtually begins on the beach, so at sea level. The bracing opening series of ramps includes a brief pitch of 14%. It climbs to an elevation of 1,270 metres.



Final Kms.

The first 3 kilometres are the steepest part. From there, the gradient steadies to about 7%, with occasional plateaus, though the road rears up again in the final 4km.



What to Expect.

A climber is going to win, that’s obvious, be it from the breakaway or the GC group. It's difficult to call as the preceding terrain isn't ideal for producing a select breakaway.

Salobreña

Population 12, 513
Salobreña is a town on the Costa Tropical in Granada, Spain. It claims a history stretching back 6,000 years. There are two main parts of Salobreña; The first is The Old Town which sits atop a rocky prominence and is a cluster of whitewashed houses and steep narrow streets leading up to a tenth-century Moorish castle, called 'Castillo de Salobreña' and it is one of its main tourist attractions.
The second part of Salobreña is new developments which spread from the bottom of the Old Town right to the beach. The whole town is almost surrounded by sugarcane fields on each side along the coast and further inland.



Andalucia is a very privileged region of Spain, with access to both the sea and the mountains and this makes its cuisine very exciting, using ingredients from both regions. The cuisine on Costa Tropical is the same, due to how close the mountains are to the coast.
Boquerones is a must try food on Costa Tropical. It is a simple dish but has so much flavour.



Another way of cooking shrimp on the Costa Tropical is gambas pil-pil and I highly recommend you order it. This dish comes sizzling in a terracotta bowl, in which the shrimp has been cooked in olive oil with lots of garlic and smoked paprika. It is served with crusty bread, which you can generously dip into the pil-pil sauce.




Peñas Blancas. Estepona

Population 70,228
During La Vuelta 13, the Alto de Peñas Blancas became the first high-altitude finale in the history of the Province of Málaga. Despite being a well-known race location, the mountain pass will again surprise the peloton and the fans from all over the world. The finish-line’s accumulated difficulty will be increased. In 2022, the route will be completed by climbing up to the iconic Estepona viewpoint and adding another four kilometres to the climb, that will measure around 20 km, with a total of 1250 metres of slopes.



Espetos are anchovies grilled over an open fire, which you can usually only order at the beach bars called chiringuitos. The grills are mostly built inside old boats, and the wood used comes from olive trees. In order to make the perfect espetos, the anchovies are put on metal skewers, salted and drizzled with olive oil, then grilled.



Fritura Malaguena translates as “fried food from Malaga” and it is a very traditional dish in Malaga. It consists of a fantastic platter of different types of seafood and fish, coated in batter and deep fried in high quality olive oil. You can either order this as a full meal, as a tapas, or in a cone as street food.



Another summer salad typical to Malaga is the Pipirrana Malagueña. The simple ingredients that bring this recipe to life are tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper and onions. What makes this salad typical to Malaga is the add-on of cooked octopus and prawns.













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

  • Today's Covid casualties: Boy van Poppel and perhaps more impactful, Santiago Buitrago.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Does the last remaining rider in the race have to dismantle the finish gantry?
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,728
    edited September 2022
    Too many to name as there are 32 riders in the breakaway, including both Vine and Soler.
    Carapaz the other name of interest here.

    Lead is 3 minutes.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    At what point is the breakaway the peloton and the rest classed as being dropped?
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    That's a big break ... anyone on GC up there?
    "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
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Keldermann at 14 mins ... I
    "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
  • Evenepoel tastes the tarmac.
    Sore had and abrasions on his right leg.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Same mistake as Alaphilippe, yesterday.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Hmmmmm remco off ..team looks rattled
    "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
  • Kelderman closing in on the podium.
    Currently in virtual 2nd.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    When did Carapaz lose that much time? I knew he'd lost a few minutes but hadn't realised he was nearly 20 minutes down.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Pross said:

    When did Carapaz lose that much time? I knew he'd lost a few minutes but hadn't realised he was nearly 20 minutes down.

    Every time it went uphill ... Not on form
    "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
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,345
    A theory on the off.
    Ice -> Water -> tyres -> slip.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • I believe Luis Angel Mate has not made it into a single break so far.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,821
    How far until the climb?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    About 5km for the break
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Remco looks a bit more battered than I'd initially thought. That bruise / skin loss around his hip is going to be painful when he stiffens up.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Bit of racing
    "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
  • McEwen tells Kirby he’s talking poo.
    Welcome to my world, Robbie.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Jumbo having a go
    "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
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,821
    It is literally preferable to watch it with the commentary in a foreign language.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,821
    Not much left of Ineos up there.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Remco looks chill under this pace . R.dennis on the front
    "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
  • Still a half hour of climbing to go.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Jumbo having a go

    Burning themselves very early on this climb.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,579
    mrb123 said:

    Pross said:

    About 5km for the break

    Cheers.

    Having a very satisfactory day in Mallorca. 50 miler down to Santuari de Sant Salvador this morning while Mrs B stayed by the pool. Following pizzas for lunch she is now asleep in our room leaving me free to watch the finish in thr hotel bar with a grande Estrella for company.

    Puerto Pollensa to Campanet & Lluc this morning for me, then a few hours round the pool, and now having to work out the German Eurosport commentary.

    Epic thunderstorm here last night - torrential rain, wind, the works. Not helped the humidity though!
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Movistar
    "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
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,821

    mrb123 said:

    Pross said:

    About 5km for the break

    Cheers.

    Having a very satisfactory day in Mallorca. 50 miler down to Santuari de Sant Salvador this morning while Mrs B stayed by the pool. Following pizzas for lunch she is now asleep in our room leaving me free to watch the finish in thr hotel bar with a grande Estrella for company.

    Puerto Pollensa to Campanet & Lluc this morning for me, then a few hours round the pool, and now having to work out the German Eurosport commentary.

    Epic thunderstorm here last night - torrential rain, wind, the works. Not helped the humidity though!
    Yeah, that storm was pretty impressive.

  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Roglic looks uncomfortable to me
    "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