Vuelta 2020 Favourites stage 17: Last chance for GC riders

Not only offers the 17th stage the last chance to move up in the GC, climbers eyeing a stage win should also give it a shot to win atop La Covatilla. (Slideshow route/profile)

After the La Covatilla stage La Vuelta is almost done. Just one flat parade stage into Madrid left.

The penultimate race serves five intermediate climbs before the finish climb appears. The Alto de la Covatilla is 11.4 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 7.4%. Which makes it the toughest test of the day, although the statistics of the first climb, Alto Portillo de las Batuecas, are similar: 10.1 kilometres at 6.5%.

Yet, statistics don’t tell the whole story – context is all. While the Batuecas climb is a steady test, the finish climb is quite the opposite. The best place to strike is midway up the Covattilla. Kilometres 5, 6 and 7 rise at roughly 10% before the ascent continues with gradients between 6 to 8%. The last 400 metres level out to 5%.

Favourites 17th stage 2020 Vuelta a España

*** Primoz Roglic, Richard Carapaz, Enric Mas
** Daniel Martin, Aleksandr Vlasov, Hugh Carthy, Alejandro Valverde
* Michael Woods, Sepp Kuss, Rui Costa, Mikel Nieve, Marc Soler

Another interesting read: route 17th stage of the 2020 Vuelta.