Vuelta 2015 Route stage 20: San Lorenzo de El Escorial

Vuelta 2015 Route stage 20: San Lorenzo de El Escorial - Cercedilla

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Saturday, September 12, 2015 - The penultimate stage of the Vuelta heads from San Lorenzo de El Escorial to Cercedilla. In 181 kilometres riders are to crest four 1st category mountains and the finish is 20 kilometres after the last.

The final stage of the 2012 Vuelta left from today’s arrival-town Cercedilla. John Degenkolb outsprinted the pack in Madrid for the fifth time that race, making him by far the strongest sprinter in that edition.

The German sprinter will not be as successful today as the stage simply offers too many climbs. The uphill-party starts with Puerto Navacerrada. Peaking at 1,860 metres, the mountain is crested with 30 kilometres done. At the Navacerrada Levi Leipheimer won the 20th stage of the 2008 Vuelta – a mountain time trial -, but it was not enough to threaten Alberto Contador. The American finished second in the overall that year.

After a 12 kilometres descent the riders reach the foot of the Puerto de la Morcuera. The climb is 14 kilometres at 4.7%, followed by a regular descent in 9.2 kilometres at 6.6%.

After a fairly flat interval of around 30 kilometres, the Puerto de la Morcuera is to be climbed again. This time the riders go up at the side they earlier came down, so that’s a 9.2 kilometres climb at 6.6%. After this they drop across the flanks of the first ascent of the Morcuera.

The last uphill sector of the 2015 Vuelta is the Puerto de Cotos. In 11 kilometres the riders climb to an elevation of 1,835 meters, meaning an average grade of 5%, while the 10th kilometre is steepest at 8.5%. Upon cresting and a few flat kilometres a 11 kilometres drop closes the chapter ‘mountains’ in La Vuelta Ciclista a España 2015.

Results/race report stage 20, Vuelta 2015.