Vuelta 2024 Favourites stage 11: Hilly race for attackers
fotobureau Cor VosThe 11th stage of La Vuelta takes the riders over four categorized climbs from Padrón to Padrón. Totalling over 2,700 metres of climbing, the race concludes with a promising finale: steep wall, descent, 3 kilometres on the flat.
(Slideshow route/profile)
Except for two unclassified climbs - 1.7 kilometres at 4.9%; 2.4 kilometres at 5.1% - the first 30 kilometres are flat. The battle for the breakaway will undoubtedly ignite as soon as the flag drops, but it's likely that a decisive move will not occur until the Puerto San Xusto. This climb begins after 32.2 kilometres, is 10.2 kilometres long, and the average gradient sits at 4.2%.
Shortly after the KOM sprint, the riders enter a circuit, which they will complete two and a half times. The circuit is 36.7 kilometres long, passes the finish line twice, and includes the Puerto Aguasantas twice as well. The 5.7 kilometres test at 6.1% is crested for the second time with 48.5 kilometres left to race.
A rolling phase - with a section of 4.3 kilometres at 4.3% standing out - leads to the decisive action. The Puerto Cruxeiras climb is 2.9 kilometres at 8.9%, followed by a 5 kilometres descent leading onto a flat run-in to the line of 3 kilometres.
While a GC contender might decide to have his team control the race, on paper, this stage seems tailor-made suited for the breakaway. The rider with the sharpest punch could try to go solo on the Puerto Cruxeiras; otherwise, a sprint from a small group is the most likely outcome.
Favourites 11th stage 2024 Vuelta a España
*** Jesús Herrada, Michael Woods, Harold Tejada
** Marc Soler, Stefan Küng, Oier Lazkano, Mauro Schmid
* Wout van Aert, Mathias Vacek, Quinten Hermans, Jhonatan Narváez
Another interesting read: route 11th stage 2024 Vuelta.
