Vuelta 2024 Favourites stage 11: Hilly race for attackers

foto: 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.