Vuelta 2017 Favourites stage 19: Punchers with descending skills and fast legs

Expect the 19th stage of the Vuelta a España to boil down to a sprint of a select group. The finale? A punchy climb followed by a 15.2 kilometres descent to the line. (Slideshow route/profile)

Probably, the punchy last climb that’s crested with 15.2 kilometres remaining will be crucial in the Vuelta’s 19th stage. The Alto de San Martin is 4.5 kilometres at 7.2%, yet the last 3 kilometres tell the real story as this section is averaging almost 10%. He who is among the first riders to crest is perfectly placed to be in the mix to win the stage. Only ‘obstacle’ is the 15.2 kilometres descent.

En route from Caso to Gijón the riders face Alto de Colladona, Alto de San Emiliano and Alto de la Falla de los Lobos. That last one is crested with 65.1 kilometres remaining, which is too much to have an impact on the results. Which is another story on the punchy final climb, Alto de San Martin.

Expect the teams of sprinters with climbing legs (QuickStep/Trentin) to control the race. And the other way around, too. The teams of punchers with fast legs will be eyeing up their chances as well.

Favourites 19th stage 2017 Vuelta

*** Rui Costa, Julian Alaphilippe, Matteo Trentin, David de la Cruz
** Bob Jungels, Luis León Sánchez, Anthony Roux, Sacha Modolo, Matteo Trentin
* Wout Poels, Tomasz Marczynski, José Joaquín Rojas, Edward Theuns