From start to finish the route is undulating between altitudes of 200 to 450 metres. So it’s not pan-flat, but a pro-cyclist shouldn’t feel the inclination. If everybody stays upright in the finale nothing should stand in the way of a bunch sprint. Timing will be essential, as always, but in Lleida even more as the route is an uphill false flat from 700 metres until 200 metres before the line. The last 200 metres are flat.
Three years ago Danny van Poppel won La Vuelta’s sprint in Lleida.
Elia Viviani won the 3rd stage, which was the first bunch sprint of the 2018 Vuelta. Following a race with some 2,500 vertical metres, the Italian Champion outgunned Giacomo Nizzolo and Peter Sagan. In the 6th stage Nacer Bouhanni outgunned Danny van Poppel and Elia Viviani, who bounced back with a clean win in the 10th stage ahead of Peter Sagan and Giacomo Nizzolo.
Favourites 18th stage 2019 Vuelta a España
*** Elia Viviani, Danny van Poppel, Peter Sagan
** Simone Consonni, Giacomo Nizzolo, Max Walscheid
* Matteo Trentin, Michael Schwarzmann, Ryan Gibbons
Vuelta a España 2018 stage 18: Route map, height profile, and more
Click on the images to zoom
Related articles Riders - Vuelta 20 Withdrawals - Vuelta 20 Favourites - Vuelta 20 GC Favourites - Vuelta 20 More articles Giro 2022: Hirt wins race over the Mortirolo, Carapaz keeps pink
Giro 2022 Route stage 16: Salò - Aprica
Giro 2022 Route stage 17: Ponte di Legno - Lavarone
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 17: Climbers eyeing pink
Giro 2022: Withdrawals
Giro 2022: The Route
Giro 2022: Riders
Giro 2022 Route stage 18: Borgo Valsugana - Treviso
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 18: For fast men #5
Giro 2022 Route stage 19: Marano Lagunare - Castelmonte
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 19: Steep ramps to suit the breakaway
Giro 2022 Route stage 20: Belluno - Passo Fedaia
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 20: Final GC clash in high mountains
Giro 2022 Route stage 21: Verona ITT
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 21: Into the arena
Cycling Calendar 2022
Giro 2022: Ciccone solos to victory, Carapaz still in pink
Critérium du Dauphiné 2022: The Route
Critérium du Dauphiné 2022: Riders
Critérium du Dauphiné 2022 Route stage 1: La Voulte-sur-Rhône - Beauchastel
Critérium du Dauphiné 2022 Route stage 2: Saint-Péray - Brives-Charensac
Critérium du Dauphiné 2022 Route stage 3: Saint-Paulien - Chastreix-Sancy
Tour de France 2022: The Route
Tour de France 2022: Riders
Tour de France 2022 Route stage 1: Copenhagen - Copenhagen
Tour de France 2022 Favourites stage 1: Ganna for first yellow jersey
Tour de France 2022 Route stage 5: Lille - Arenberg
Tour de France 2022 Route stage 12: Briançon - Alpe d'Huez
Vuelta 2022: The Route