Vuelta 2022 Favourites stage 18: Last uphill finish

Following an undulating first half of the race the riders enter the more mountainous second half. The first climb is the steepest of the day. The Alto de la Desesperà is 3.7 kilometres long an averages 9.4%. The other two climbs both lead to Piornal, but on other sides of the mountain. Yet, the distance and the gradients are exactly the same – 13.5 kilometres at 5%. Moreover, both are regular climbs, so one may wonder if it’s hard enough for the GC riders to raise hell.

On the other hand, it’s the last uphill finish of La Vuelta, so riders with the ambition to move up on GC have to attack. If it will be for the stage win is hard to say. When forced to give the answer we would be inclined to say: no, the stage win is for an attacker.

Favourites 18th stage 2022 Vuelta a España

*** Richard Carapaz, Marc Soler, Hugh Carthy, Jay Vine
** Wilco Kelderman, Thibaut Pinot, Alexey Lutsenko, Mark Padun
* Remco Evenepoel, Enric Mas, Miguel Ángel López, Juan Ayuso

Another interesting read: route 18th stage 2022 Vuelta.