La Vuelta 2024:- Stage 9: Mortil – Granada, 184.5km ***Spoilers***

Mortil – Granada, 184.5km

Sunday 25th August

Start Time: 11-35BST.

The 9th stage of the Vuelta is a mountain stage, but at the same time somewhat out of the ordinary. The riders tackle roughly 4,500 metres of climbing, most of it within a span of 67.5 kilometres. The lion's share of La Vuelta's 9th stage is played out in the Sierra Nevada. Departing practically from sea level, the peloton must climb El Purche, a Category 1 climb, before the double climb of Hazallanas, both feature inside the final 50km. La Vuelta last visited Motril in 2017. It was also for a stage start. The race went to Antequera and Tomasz Marczynski won from the breakaway. It is the final day that the riders will face the oppressive heat of Andalucia.

Profile.

Map.

The Climbs.

Final Kilometres.

The race concludes with a 23 kilometres downhill into Granada’s city centre. It’s far from technical and plays out on wide roads.

What to Expect.

Given the finale, it is probable that GC riders will go all out for the win. With the amount of climbing and the gradients involved, expect some GC riders to concede significant time. The likes of Roglic will be hoping that he can make significant inroads into Ben o’Connor’s lead.

Motril

Motril has already hosted a La Vuelta stage departure once before, in 2017.

58,798 inhabitants.

Following the race’s departure from Lisbon, Motril will be the first Spanish coastal town to host La Vuelta 24. Motril is a town and municipality located on the Mediterranean coast of Granada, Spain. It is the second largest town in the province.In the Arab Andalusian period it was an important defensive fortress along the coastline of Granada.

It was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs in 1489 and was left almost uninhabited after the Moors were expelled in 1507. It was later repopulated with Christians from the kingdom of Castile it was attacked and destroyed during the War of La Alpujarra in 1569.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Berber pirates used to attack and destroy the coastline. However, the privileged location of Motril, 2 km off the coast, safeguarded the town, which from then on started a process of growth and non-stop development that led this town to become a first order communication base for the locations nearby the coastline of Granada, and an important link in coasting trade.

It became a town in the reign of King Phillip IV.

Its seafood gastronomy, with the characteristic freshness of its products, includes such dishes as grilled sardine skewers and its typical remojón salad. The chirimoyo, a sweet local treasure, completes the culinary experience.

Granada

Granada has already hosted 19 La Vuelta finish-lines.

228,682 inhabitants

Granada is a city in southern Spain’s Andalusia region, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation, especially the Alhambra. This sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompasses royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty, as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife gardens.

With 19 finish-lines already under its belt, Granada has ample experience hosting La Vuelta arrivals. The ancient capital of the Nasrid Kingdom will conclude the first week of racing following a mountain stage. The beauty of La Alhambra, our country’s most visited monument and, without a doubt, Granada’s greatest symbol, shines as it watches over the city, creating a peculiar landscape with the Sierra Nevada in the background.

Remojón

Remojón is a traditional Spanish salad originating from Granada. It’s made with a combination of oranges, salt cod, red peppers, scallions, garlic, olive oil, olives, and wine or sherry vinegar. Although the salad is traditionally made with salt cod, nowadays it’s a bit expensive so people sometimes replace it with tuna and anchovies.