La Vuelta 2024:- Stage 4: Plasencia – Pico Villeurcas, 170.4km ***Spoilers***

Stage 4: Plasencia – Pico Villeurcas, 170.4km

 Tuesday 20th August.

Start Time: 12-05BST.

La Vuelta returns to home soil on the fourth day of action. The edition’s first mountain stage consists of 170 km and includes four point-incurring mountain passes. The riders set off from Plasencia for an intriguing first part of the race. It will be complicated right from the start, with a Category 2 climb and Alto de Piornal (Category 1) within the first 50 km. The Piornal debuted in 2022 (Remco Evenepoel victory) and Pico Villuercas in 2021 (Romain Bardet victory). The stage finishes uphill in the remote Extremadura region, which borders on Portugal. La Vuelta ventured twice into the sweltering Extremadura region in the last four years to try out unprecedented climbs.

Profile.

Map.

The Climbs.

The finish climb is the Pico Villuercas, a brutal test of 14.6 kilometres at 6.2% with double-digit gradients for several kilometres. Moreover, these steepest sectors are on a narrow corrugated concrete track.

Final Kilometres.

The final 5 kilometres find the gradients getting progressively steeper and the road condition worsens. The final part is merely a narrow corrugated concrete track with relentless double-digit gradients and a maximum tilt of 20%. After 2.9 kilometres at 13.4% the torture lessens until it evens out to 2.1% after the flamme rouge.

What to Expect.

Given the way this stage has been set up and as it’s still early in the Vuelta, the most likely scenario is that the breakaway will battle it our for the stage honours. A change of red jersey wearer is also on the cards.

Plasencia

Plasencia has already hosted two La Vuelta departures.

39,247 inhabitants

Plasencia, a historical city within the Province of Cáceres, dazzles with its Medieval architecture and cultural charms. This town was inhabited by Romans and Arabs until the 12th century, when King Alfonso VIII reconquered it. Its centenary walls continue to protect the city and its historical city centre. In La Vuelta 24, the Jerte Valley capital will be the race’s entry point into Spanish territory during a stage that will feature the edition’s very first high-altitude finale.

Tortilla de Patata

Introduced in 1817, folklore says that tortilla de patata was created by general Tomás de Zumalacárregui in order to feed his hungry army, as food supplies were scarce at the time. The key ingredients used in the dish are thinly sliced potatoes and eggs, so it is basically a very thick potato omelette that resembles a frittata when finished.

Dehesa de Extremadura

Dehesa de Extremadura is a cured ham and shoulders made of pure-bred Ibérico-pigs meat produced in the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz. The manufacturing process takes at least 18 months for hams and 12 months for the shoulders and consists of salting, resting, curing and aging.

Villuercas

Villuercas Peak has already hosted a La Vuelta finish-line once before.

641 Inhabitants.

The challenging slopes towards Villuercas Peak marked an important milestone during La Vuelta 21: it was the first time Extremadura hosted a high-altitude finale for the Spanish tour. In 2024, the climb will once again feature in the La Vuelta route, but will do so with a new slope starting at the locality of Navezuelas. This will be the first big test for the riders in the running to win the race.