The first part of the 8th stage is likely to see plenty of action. The terrain is not too demanding, so virtually all riders could give it a shot to make it into the breakaway. Winning the race is something else though with three climbs in the last 70 kilometres.
The first uphill is the Alto de Vio: a narrow road of 13.5 kilometres to an elevation of 1,265 metres. It is a steady climb with an average gradient of 4.7%.
Following a short downhill the route continues to climb to the highest point of the day. The Alto de Fanlo is 6.4 kilometer long and rises mostly at around 4%. Yet, the last kilometres serve a number of sections at double digit gradients.
The riders move through Fanlo – a village at an elevation of 1,365 metres – before flying down a 22 kilometres descent into Fiscal. It is here that the Alto de Petralba, an ascent on a wide road with two tunnels, kicks in hard. The first 3 kilometres and a section halfway – right after the Berroy tunnel – are toughest with ramps up to 9.5%. The second tunnel is 2.6 kilometres long and ends just before the summit. The Petralba climb is 8.5 kilometres long with an average gradient of 5.2%.
The last 16 kilometres are played out on the same wide road. The riders plunge down into Sabiñánigo, where the last 2 kilometres are a false flat run-in to the line.
Greg Van Avermaet is the last rider to win a Vuelta stage in the town in the foothills of the Pyrenees. In 2008, the Olympic Champion of Rio outgunned Davide Rebellin and Juan Antonio Flecha.
The intermediate sprint – located just before the Alto de Petralba – comes with time bonuses of 3, 2 and 1 seconds, while the first three riders on the line gain 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
Another interesting read: results 5th stage 2020 Vuelta a España.
Vuelta a España 2020 stage 5: route, profiles, more
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