On rolling roads the riders head for Ayora, a municipality located at the foot of the Puerto de Casa del Alto. The only KOM climb (2nd category) of the day peaks at 1,085 metres.
After cresting Alto del Pelegrin there are 130 kilometres left to race. With some minor uphill hick-ups the riders plunge down to Moixent before a long false flat takes them to a 70 kilometres section that’s almost entirely a downward, yet modest incline.
Arrival place Gandia lies near the coast and with 200,000 inhabitant it’s a thriving centre of commerce. Located in the Valencian Country, the region is well known to most riders as it offers perfect training grounds, especially in winter. The possibilities are endless. Near Gandia there are flat and straight roads along the coast that are perfect to hone your skills in regard to echelons, while inland you’ll find all sorts of climbs everywhere.
Expect this stage to boil down to a bunch sprint in the streets of Gandia.
At the finish wait 10, 6 and 4 seconds for the first three riders, and 3, 2 and 1 seconds can be gained at the intermediate sprint after 147 kilometres.
Results/race report 18th stage, 2016 Vuelta.
Vuelta a España 2016 Stage 18: Route maps, height profiles, etc
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