Vuelta 2024 Favourites stage 20: GC clash in Queen Stage

foto: Cor VosLa Vuelta is saving the toughest stage, and hopefully also the most thrilling one, for last. Over 172 kilometres, the riders tackle more than 5,000 metres of climbing. After a gentle 25 kilometres start, it’s non-stop climbing and descending all day. The perfect stage for a grand GC showdown. (Slideshow route/profile)

The riders tackle Las Estacas de Trueba (9.2 kilometres at 3.1%), Puerto de la Braguía (5.8 kilometres at 5.9%), Alto del Caracol (10.8 kilometres at 5.4%), Portillo de Lunada (14 kilometres at 6.1%), Portillo de la Sia (7.2 kilometres at 6.1%), and Puerto de Los Tornos (11.3 kilometres at 6%) before facing the pièce de résistance, Picón Blanco, the hardest climb of the day – and also the final one.

The climb will be even tougher because there is no descent after Los Tornos. Instead, the riders reach a rolling plateau of about 8 kilometres before arriving at the base of the final climb of La Vuelta.

It would be spectacular if the GC battle for the overall victory will be raging on Picón Blanco. Roglic looked vulnerable in the Sierra Nevada stage, and the race to the Picón Blanco summit is even tougher, so who knows what might happen. We can definitely count on Carapaz to go all-in.

The Picón Blanco rises for 7.9 kilometres at an average gradient of 9.1%. Large sections, especially in the heart of the climb, hit double digits. This stretch also features the steepest ramp at 18%.

Favourites 20th stage 2024 Vuelta a España

*** Primoz Roglic, Richard Carapaz, Enric Mas
** Adam Yates, Aleksandr Vlasov, Steven Kruijswijk, Jack Haig, Eddie Dunbar
* Sepp Kuss, Mattias Skjelmose, David Gaudu, Max Poole, Cristián Rodríguez

Another interesting read: route 20th stage 2024 Vuelta.