Vuelta 2018 Favourites stage 3: For powerful speedsters

The 3rd stage of the Vuelta a España features quite some vertical metres - as per usual in Spain. But the ascents are doable, so odds are the race will come down to a bunch sprint. (Slideshow route/profile)

The riders reach the foot of the 3rd stage’s hardest ascent as soon as kilometre 25.5. The Puerto del Madroña is a 20.1 kilometres long climb with its slope at around 5%. The route takes in more uphills, but since pure sprinters rarely appear on La Vuelta we should expect the fast men to survive. With 30 kilometres remaining the riders leave the last positive slopes behind before the finale offers a mix of downhill stretches, false flat, and level ground.

The last 4.1 kilometres are a long straight to line. A 500 metres uphill section at 5% stands out with 3.5 kilometres to go, but the long straight is mainly an uphill false flat before a downhill false flat runs to the last kilometre on level ground.

Favourites 3rd stage 2018 Vuelta a España

*** Peter Sagan, Danny van Poppel, Matteo Trentin
** Elia Viviani, Ryan Gibbons, Nacer Bouhanni, Tosh Van der Sande
* Alejandro Valverde, Michal Kwiatkowski, Tony Gallopin, Fabio Felline