Vuelta Spain 2018

Vuelta a Espana 2018: Simon Yates increases lead to over a minute after stage 19. Last updated on. 14 September 2018. 14 September 2018. From the section. Yates (centre in red shirt. Running from Saturday August 25th to Sunday September 16th 2018, the Vuelta will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3254,7 kilometres. Vuelta a Espana 2018: Simon Yates set to win his first Grand Tour. Last updated on 15 September 2018 15 September 2018. From the section Cycling. Cycling: Vuelta España 2019 / Tour of Spain 2019/ La Vuelta/ Etapa 13/ Stage 13/ Salida / Departure / Estadio de San Mames / Bilbao - Los Machucos (166,4 km) / Vuelta España 2019 / La Vuelta/ Tour of Spain 2019/ Luis Angel Gomez ©PH Cycling: Vuelta España 2019 / Tour of Spain 2019/ La Vuelta/ Etapa 13/ Stage 13/ Salida / Departure / Estadio de San Mames / Bilbao - Los.

Simon Yates won the 73rd edition of the Vuelta a España, while Enric Mas and Miguel Ángel López rounded out the podium. Elia Viviani sprinted to three victories and Rohan Dennis, Alejandro Valverde, Ben King and Thibaut Pinot won two apiece. The race started on the 25th of August 2018 in Málaga and finished on the 16th of September in Madrid.(Slideshow route/profile)

Take a look at the final standings of the 2018 Vuelta a España, or click on the links in underneath scheme for the corresponding race results and reports.

Vuelta a España 2018: Results per stage

Nr	Date	Start and finish	Type	Report/ results	Winner	Red jersey
1	Sa 25-8	Málaga – Málaga	ITT	Vuelta a España 2018 results 1st stage Read more	Dennis	Dennis
2	Su 26-8	Marbella – Caminito del Rey	finish uphill	Vuelta a España 2018 results 2nd stage Read more	Valverde	Kwiatkowski
3	Mo 27-8	Mijas – Alhaurín de la Torre	hills flat finish	Vuelta a España 2018 results 3rd stage Read more	Viviani	Kwiatkowski
4	Tu 28-8	Vélez-Málaga – Sierra de la Alfaguara	mountain finish	Vuelta a España 2018 results 4th stage Read more	King	Kwiatkowski
5	We 29-8	Granada – Roquetas de Mar	hills, flat finish	Vuelta a España 2018 results 5th stage Read more	Clarke	Molard
6	Th 30-8	Huércal-Overa – Mar Menor (San Javier)	vlak	Vuelta a España 2018 results 6th stage Read more	Bouhanni	Molard
7	Fr 31-8	Puerto Lumbreras – Pozo Alcón	hills	Vuelta a España 2018 results 7th stage Read more	Gallopin	Molard
8	Sa 1-9	Linares – Almadén	flat	Vuelta a España 2018 results 8th stage Read more	Valverde	Molard
9	Su 2-9	Talavera Reina – La Covatilla	mountain finish	Vuelta a España 2018 results 9th stage Read more	King	S. Yates
Mo 3-9	Rest day
10	Tu 4-9	Salamanca – Bermillo de Sayago	flat	Vuelta a España 2018 results 10th stage Read more	Viviani	S. Yates
11	We 5-9	Mombuey – Luinta (Ribeira Sacra)	hills	Vuelta a España 2018 results 11th stage Read more	De Marchi	S. Yates
12	Th 6-9	Mondoñedo – Faro de Estaca de Bares	flat	Vuelta a España 2018 results 12th stage Read more	Geniez	Je. Herrada
13	Fr 7-9	Candás – La Camperona	mountain finish	Vuelta a España 2018 results 13th stage Read more	Ó. Rodríguez	Je. Herrada
14	Sa 8-9	Cangas Onís – Les Praeres	mountain finish	Vuelta a España 2018 results 14th stage Read more	S. Yates	S. Yates
15	Su 9-9	Cistierna – Lagos de Covadonga	mountain finish	Vuelta a España 2018 results 15th stage Read more	Pinot	S. Yates
Mo 10-9	Rest day
16	Tu 11-9	Santillana del Mar – Torrelavega	ITT	Vuelta a España 2018 results 16th stage Read more	Dennis	S. Yates
17	We 12-9	Getxo – Balcón de Bizkaia	mountain finish	Vuelta a España 2018 results 17th stage Read more	Woods	S. Yates
18	Th 13-9	Ejea de los Caballeros – Lleida	flat	Vuelta a España 2018 results 18th stage Read more	Wallays	S. Yates
19	Fr 14-9	Lleida – Col de la Rabassa (and)	mountain finish	Vuelta a España 2018 results 19th stage Read more	Pinot	S. Yates
20	Sa 15-9	Escaldes-Engordany (and) – Collada de La Gallina (and)	mountains	Vuelta a España 2018 results 20th stage Read more	E. Mas	S. Yates
21	Su 16-9	Alcorcón – Madrid	flat	Vuelta a España 2018 results 21st stage Read more	Viviani	S. Yates

Vuelta a España 2018: Route map, height profiles, and more

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Vuelta 2018: GC Favourites

The Vuelta in recent years has followed a rather sadistic formula: poke the peletón repeatedly right from the off before grabbing them in a full on headlock in the final week. This abuse has largely taken the form of climbing. This doesn’t mean they have headed straight to the high mountains from day one. Instead they have been sent up a succession of Spain’s brutally steep high hills while never missing the chance to include one of Spain’s giants when they fall in the peletón’s path. Add in the extreme heat of August and the 3 weeks have tended towards something of a slog-fest; every day a new opportunity for the heavyweights to lay into each other in search of a few seconds until they all arrive in a sweaty heap in Madrid.

So having a look at this year’s course, the organisers appear to have taken it back a notch. There is plenty of climbing in the first half of the race, but it is not quite as ferocious as we have become accustomed to. Whisper it quietly, but it might even be worth considering bringing a sprinter along. That said, the second half looks to be over-compensating, with an incredible succession of mountain passes as the route crosses the north of the country. It is there that the race will be decided, the prelude all about making sure the leaders get there with their chances still intact. In this first part of our La Vuelta a España 2018 Route Guide we will take a look at what to expect from the terrain in the first ‘easier’ 13 stages of the route.

La Vuelta a España 2018 Route Guide: A Costa del Sol Start

The organiser have stuck to tradition with a start in Andalucia, where the centre of Malaga will see the finish of an individual prologue rather than the team time trial that had become the norm. Stage 2 and 3 then take in the Costa del Sol and the attractive white villages perched on the hills and mountains inland. Stage 2 will loop through the pretty gorges around the magnificent Caminito del Rey walk, before an uphill finish that is unlikely to make much difference among the favourites.

They then return to the coast for the start of stage 3 before climbing a vertical kilometre back inland over the Puerto del Madroño, where the expansive views over the mountain and valley from the road that snakes along the cliffside are breathtaking. After passing through the famous cliff-side white village of Ronda the route then loops back east past more of the attractive white villages before passing through some of the popular coastal resorts to a flat finish on the outskirts of Malaga.

La Vuelta a España 2018 Route Guide: East through Granada and the Alpujarra

Stage 4 continues east to the magnificent Granada for the first real mountain top finish. A flat drag along the coast leads into the climb up the old mule herder’s path, where the plateau at the deserted Alto de la Carba Montés summit is rocky and other-worldly.

Views at Alto de la Cabra Montés

After going up it twice on the same day last year they will not be tacking the Sierra Nevada this year. Instead they will climb into the more tranquil pine woods of the Sierra de la Alfaguara for the first proper mountain top finish of the race. The 1st category climb is constantly challenging with gradients of 8-12% for most of its course, but levels out towards the finale. This may be when the favourites first test out their rivals, though we suspect any gaps are likely to remain moderate.

Stage 5 transitions to the coast through another of our favourite locations in Spain: the Alpujarra. The south side of the Sierra Nevada is green and lush, fed with constant snow melt from the mountains, while the opposite slope to the south is dry and populated mainly with olive trees. Unfortunately the route ignores the multitude of brilliant climbs in the area, instead following the main valley road before a climb over the Alto El Marchal will lead to a fast descent into the intensive greenhouse agricultural territory around the coastal Roquetas del Mar. We suspect the leaders will still be keeping their powder dry for the bigger challenges ahead.

La Vuelta a España 2018 Route Guide: Dry Spain

The next few stages continue a coastal route east through some Spain’s driest terrain before doubling back west through the interior. Stage 6 is a long, largely flat cruise along the coast of Murcia. This dry and rugged territory is not the most picturesque part of Spain, but is really solid warm weather cycle training territory and has its own craggy beauty while out riding. The route back inland on stage 7 goes through the arid and bumpy inland terrain before circling the perimeter of the Sierra de Cazorla. This mountainous area is part of Spain’s largest protected Natural Park, a tranquil oasis of beautiful pine covered mountains and flowing water amongst the bleakness of the surrounding plains. This will not be very visible though as the route will only enter the perimeter of the park towards the finish, and the constantly uneven course is likely to suit a breakaway.

Stage 8 has very much the feel of a transition stage through the vast plains of Castile La Mancha, before the first serious mountains arrive on stage 9. A constantly undulating route through the pretty Avila province will lead to the foot of the Alto de La Covatilla in the Sierra de Bejar on the border between Extremadura and Castile and Leon. The initially gentle incline leads up to almost 2,000 meters high with several ramps over 10%, a real chance for the leaders to start showing their form.

Vuelta Spain 2018 Logo

Stage 9 Profile

La Vuelta a España 2018 Route Guide: Into the North

Following a rest day in the picturesque medieval University City of Salamanca the route heads to the cooler North for good, into the terrain that will see the leaderboard properly taking shape. An easy stage 10 through the plains of Castile and Leon is about as flat as you will find on the Vuelta, before the race enters the constantly undulating and lush green of Galicia. The moderate peaks of stage 11 disguise tough gradients as the constant hills will mean for a difficult to control race finishing amongst the rivers of the Ribeira Sacra. This is likely to be another one for a breakaway.

There will then be a long overnight transfer to the Rias Altas (high rivers) of the North Coast. The route on stage 12 will transit a beautiful area with some of the highest cliffs in Europe, the Vixia Herbeira, though the road will be lower and set away from the spectacular views of the coast. The peleton will then double back inland before heading back to the coast to finish at Spain’s most Northern point. The route is less challenging than that of stage 11 though and may prove a bit of a transition stage.

The final day in Galicia on stage 13 makes up for any respite however, returning a vertical kilometer to the table top center before the unenviable climb to the Camperona. This is classic Vuelta terrain with each of the final 3 km averaging over 11% and several ramps above 20%, a return to the madness we have come to expect. And from here there is no let up, so for those feeling it failing on the Camperona, there is a tough last week ahead.

Vuelta Spain 2018 World Cup

La Camperona climb, courtesy of www.altimetrias.net

Vuelta Spain 2018

This is part 1 of of our La Vuelta a España 2018 Route Guide, part 2 can be found here. If you are interested in any of the areas discussed you can contact us with any enquiries, or review our holidays in the White Villages of Andalucia, information on cycling in Granada, or training camps in Murcia or Almeria.