La Vuelta 2020 - Stage 3: Lodosa > La Laguna Negra - Vinuesa - 166,1 km *Spoilers*

Stage 3: Lodosa > La Laguna Negra - Vinuesa - 166,1km
Thursday 22 October 12.15GMT

The 3rd stage serves the second uphill finish on La Vuelta, although the final climb is not the hardest, it's long at 18 kilometres. The Vuelta a España never before finished near Laguna Negra, a black lake in the Urbion Peaks.



The riders kick into gear in Lodosa, an unremarkable village in Navarre, to head in southwesterly direction. Slowly but surely the route rises and the second half of the stage is all above 1000 metres. Laguna Negra sits 1,753 metres above sea level.



At 79 kilometres the riders tackle the third category Alto de Oncola, which is little more than a long drag with a lot of false flat.



The route descends to a section on a gently rolling plateau, which last for some 60 kilometres until reaching Vinuesa. It is here that a sheer endless uphill appears. The first 10 kilometer of the Laguna Negra climb run false flat uphill, after which the gradient kicks it up a notch to 6 or 7%. The steepest kilometre is the last one, as this slopes at almost 10%.



The intermediate sprint – located in the approach to the finish climb – comes with time bonuses of 3, 2 and 1 seconds, while the first three riders on the line gain 10, 6 and 4 seconds.

Lodosa

Unprecedented departure
4.764 inhabitants



Navarre is one of Spain’s main orchards. Its land produces some of the most used culinary products both in Spain and the world. One such example is the Lodosa piquillo pepper, a vegetable used in countless recipes.





The municipality will also bring back happy memories for La Vuelta’s most recent winner, Primož Roglič, who won here in 2018, in a time trial held in the Itzulia Basque Country, with both its departure and arrival in Lodosa.



La Laguna Negra - Vinuesa

Unprecedented Vuelta finale
874 inhabitants

The cobbled streets of the little town of Vinuesa will lead the peloton to a jewel embedded into the Picos de Urbión.



The Laguna Negra stands out for its beauty and mystique. Its dark, murky waters and its rocky surroundings with adjoining groves have led to it being nicknamed the Laguna Negra (or Black Lagoon). It is precisely this fact, along with its truly special scenery, that inspired Antonio Machado to write about it in one of his most famous legends: The Land of Alvargonzález.
The most common legend is that the lake is bottomless and meets the sea hundreds of miles away through caves and subterranean currents. In fact, the maximum depth is ten metres. A Nessie-like tale also resonates, saying that a creature lives in its depths, devouring anything that falls into the water and sinks.



Basque dish of the day.

Marmitako

Marmitako is a type of Basque fish stew and literally means ‘pot’ or ‘casserole’. It’s made with tuna, potatoes, onions, garlic and red peppers.






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

Comments

  • Not starting today are Mohorič , who suffered a crash yesterday and Pinot, who left his head quarantined in Nice.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,750
    I enjoyed the 18kms sprint line for the breakaway with a policeman indicating that they should slow down. 🤣🤣🤣
    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.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    Strong signs of life from Froome
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95. said:

    Strong signs of life from Froome

    I'd love a point to follow his wheel for old times sake
  • Just turned it on - looks like a familiar face turning it on at the front
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    edited October 2020
    Yay. Dan Martin wins. Roglic 2nd, Carapaz 3rd.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Everyone taking digs, Carapaz marking.
    Dan Martin times the kick for the line and wins from Rog and Carapaz!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    Nice one Dan, I thought he'd done his usual trick of going too early. Roglic not showing his usual kick there.
  • Matti66
    Matti66 Posts: 190
    Good win for Martin.
  • Predicted uphill sprint, Dan Martin wins ahead of Rog and Carapaz
    Carlton incessant, so I turned off 10 seconds after they crossed the line, but Martin may have the red jersey
  • Matti66
    Matti66 Posts: 190
    Hope Roglic is going backwards a bit , for an interesting GC battle . Is there a lot of TT kilo’s?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    Sean has changed over the years, it used to be he needed to be pressed into speaking and now you can't shut him up!
  • Matti66
    Matti66 Posts: 190
    Well apart from when Carlton bellows over the top about an ‘attack’ 😂
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    Matti66 said:

    Hope Roglic is going backwards a bit , for an interesting GC battle . Is there a lot of TT kilo’s?


    He won the first race back after lockdown (Slovenian nationals) and he has really stopped for a rest since, so you expect him to fade at some point.

    This is the only TT

    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Matti66
    Matti66 Posts: 190
    Still favours Roglic . Any way with Giro turning into a good tussle , can we hope for another.
  • If Roglic carries on in this vein, they will have to introduce a mountains sprints jersey.
    Kuss is now reduced to fake attack man to draw the sting from his adversaries, so he can sit in until the final 200 metres then pop up to nick the bonus seconds.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,905
    RichN95. said:

    Matti66 said:

    Hope Roglic is going backwards a bit , for an interesting GC battle . Is there a lot of TT kilo’s?


    He won the first race back after lockdown (Slovenian nationals) and he has really stopped for a rest since, so you expect him to fade at some point.

    This is the only TT

    Even the TTs in the Vuelta look like a hockey stick!
  • Matti66
    Matti66 Posts: 190

    If Roglic carries on in this vein, they will have to introduce a mountains sprints jersey.
    Kuss is now reduced to fake attack man to draw the sting from his adversaries, so he can sit in until the final 200 metres then pop up to nick the bonus seconds.

    ‘Ugh its true huh’
  • Must be the first time in ages the first three over the line were all wearing race classification jerseys. (The main three classifications, anyway.)
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150

    Must be the first time in ages the first three over the line were all wearing race classification jerseys. (The main three classifications, anyway.)


    My guess is it's the first time, full stop.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,805
    It felt like the bunch were kinda of letting froome ride on the front in a slightly patronising way...more affect than reality I guess . Bit sad .
    "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: 3,466
    RichN95. said:

    Must be the first time in ages the first three over the line were all wearing race classification jerseys. (The main three classifications, anyway.)


    My guess is it's the first time, full stop.
    Even with the vuelta and it's history of every stage being the same?
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196

    It felt like the bunch were kinda of letting froome ride on the front in a slightly patronising way...more affect than reality I guess . Bit sad .

    Not sure, looks like he's still capable of setting a perfectly respectable pace in a train. He'd have to have fallen a really long way.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    I think this Vuelta could be open to a Pereiroing. I can see someone getting a lead from a breakaway (not half an hour admittedly) and clinging on in the later stages.
    Twitter: @RichN95