One could argue the riders will turn wine into water in stage 10. Caravaca de la Cruz is famous for its Los Caballos del Vino fiesta, while Alhama (de Murcia) literally means ‘hot springs’.
The riders will not need the heat of the springs to get warm. Not only are they racing the southern part of Spain, the route features a tough two-stage climb to an elevation of 1,200 metres. Before they hit the lower flanks of the Collado Bermejo the race goes slightly downhill on rolling roads for about 100 kilometres. Perfect terrain for a bunch of escapees to try their luck.
The climb to the summit of the Bermejo is a two-staged affair. The first part is 5.7 kilometres at 5.8%, while the second part amounts to 7.7 kilometres at 6.6%. After cresting a 20.8 kilometres drop leads to the final stretch of 1 kilometre on the flat. The finish is near the El Pozo Meat Industries factory. By the way, El Pozo means ‘water well’.
The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint (at kilometre 108.5) comes with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Read also: results/race report 10th stage 2017 Vuelta.
Vuelta 2017 stage 10: Route maps, height profiles, and more
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