The riders clip into their pedals in front of the Carrefour supermarket in Jerez de la Frontera, 110 kilometres to the northwest of Gibraltar, in the deep south of Spain. It has been awhile since La Vuelta last visited the place. Eleuterio Anguito (1997), Nicola Minali (1996) and Djamolodine Abdoesjaparov (1992) – they all sprinted to victory in Jerez de la Frontera. Which translates to a flat opening of the 6th stage of this year’s edition.
After one hour on the flat the riders tackle the Puerto del Bojar. It’s the hardest climb of the day – 15 kilometres long and averaging 5.7%, while the steepest ramp goes up at 10.2%.
The race continues on more gentle terrain, althouh it’s far from flat. The Alto de Ronda and Puerto del Viento are both 6 kilometres long, the Puerto Martinez is 4 kilometres. The climb to the line is called the Alto de las Abejas, or the Climb of the Bumble Bees. It’s a 9 kilometres long test with an average gradient of 4.5%. The first part is toughest.
Yunquera never before hosted a Vuelta stage. In fact, it’s the first ever visit of a pro-peloton in the village in the Sierra de la Nieves.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint comes with 6, 4 and 4 seconds.
Vuelta a España 2024 stage 6: profile & more
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