Vuelta 2022 Favourites stage 8: GC clash or breakaway climber

Since the route climbs from the start, the break is likely to feature solely strong climbers. Which argues for a a successful breakaway. While carving out a lead on the intermediate climbs, the attackers can go head to head on the finish climb if the gap is big enough.

The riders are to crest the following intermediate climbs: Alto de la Colladona (6.4 kilometres at 7%), Alto de Mozqueta (6.8 kilometres at 6.6%), Alto de Santo Emiliano (5.7 kilometres at 5.3%), Puerto de Tenebredo (5.3 kilometres at 6.2%) en Alto de Perlavia (4 kilometer at 7.4%). There are 40 kilometres remaining at the summit of that last ascent.

For starters, the riders fly down a 12 kilometres descent, which is interspersed with a short climb. Back in the valley, in a town called Grado, the route starts to run false flat uphill towards the finish climb. After a small descent the Collado Fancuaya finally kicks in. The 10.1 kilometres ascent averages 8.5%, while the first third is the easiest part. The last 3 kilometres are particularly brutal with the gradients constantly hovering around 10%.

Favourites 8th stage 2022 Vuelta a España

*** Wout Poels, Jay Vine, Marc Soler, Thibaut Pinot
** Simon Yates, Primoz Roglic, Remco Evenepoel, Pavel Sivakov, Jai Hindley
* Esteban Chaves, Sergio Higuita, Vincenzo Nibali, Santiago Buitrago

Another interesting read: route 8th stage 2022 Vuelta.