Vuelta 2022 Favourites stage 4: Punchy finale in Laguardia

After three Dutch stages and an undulating opening of stage 4, the Puerto de Opakua is the first real uphill test of the Spanish Grand Tour. The 5 kilometres climb at 6.9% is crested at kilometre 61.9. So that’s only of interest to riders with an eye on the polka dot jersey, it will not impact the race results whatsoever.

The second climb is something else entirely. The Puerto de Herrera totals 7.3 kilometres and averages 4.8%, while most climbing metres are crammed together in the first part. Which is almost twice as steep as the second.

But, more importantly, the Puerto de Herrera is crested with 14 kilometres to go. Most of it goes dowhill before the road starts to incline again in the last 2.5 kilometres. Not steep at first, but the gradients kick up under the flamme rouge. The steepest sector at over 10% appears inside the last 500 metres.

Favourites 4th stage 2022 Vuelta a España

*** Julian Alaphilippe, Ethan Hayter
** Mads Pedersen, Primoz Roglic, Alejandro Valverde
* Daryl Impey, Sergio Higuita, Rudy Molard, João Almeida

Another interesting read: route 4th stage 2022 Vuelta.