Ride the La Vuelta Virtual: Experience the Grand Tour at Home

By Monica Buck

The Rouvy platform allows you to ride the same routes the pros do in reality. So, ready to climb? Or do you just want to enjoy a ride along the coast? Rouvy offers you five segments of this year’s La Vuelta route. They are stages 2, 4 and 6, which are flat, and then 11 and 12, offering you a lot of climbing.

The stage 2 course will make its way through a scenic municipality called Villafruela, a rural area in Burgos, Castile and León, nestled in the north of Spain. It will lead you over gently rolling sepia grasslands and finally over the small Arlanza river to the finish in Tordómar, an area dominated by cultivated fields of cereal and ochre-coloured meadows set against an azure sky. It’s the first possible bunch sprint where there will be an opportunity to show who is in form, go for the win, and grab points for the Škoda Green Jersey competition.

#1 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 2 | ASIA 15/08/2021
#1 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 2 | EU 15/08/2021
#1 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 2 | USA 16/08/2021

 

Stage 4 is good for sprinters as well. Join the peloton and experience the contrast of either racing or having a relaxed ride in the tranquil Spanish countryside. The sprinters can also have the opportunity to show their speed skills and take full advantage of this fast profile. Starting in the small historic town of Alcolea del Pinar and finishing in the village of Anquela del Ducado, you will enjoy riding through rolling hills with a backdrop of mellow pastures, farmland, and dense Mediterranean vegetation.

#2 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 4 | ASIA 17/08/2021
#2 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 4 | EU 17/08/2021
#2 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 4 | USA 18/08/2021

 

Stage 6 will be a flat route apart from a slight but steep ascent in the first half of the course and after which it will wind its way towards the finish line situated at the Cullera Castle. Enjoy the sites of this historic resort town with its restored hilltop fortress built in the 10th century, with beautiful scenic water views along the coast overlooking the beach.

#3 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 6 | ASIA 19/08/2021
#3 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 6 | EU 19/08/2021
#3 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 6 | USA 20/08/2021

 

Stage 11 route has an undulating landscape covering a distance of almost 43 km and nearly 1,000 m of climbing, with the highest point near Las Lagunillas. This challenging stage, with its shark-tooth type profile, will test the strongest of legs.

#4 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 11 | ASIA 25/08/2021
#4 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 11 | EU 25/08/2021
#4 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 11 | USA 26/08/2021

 

Stage 12 is tough on the legs as well. The first climb begins in the ancient Medina Azahara, a fortified palace city and an important historical landmark in Andalusia. You’ll climb about 400 m, followed by some undulating terrain towards the summit of San Jeronimo at around the 15-km mark. Then you’ll descend for 8 km into the ancient and cultural city of Cordoba before heading uphill again for the final tough 7-km climb to the finish.

#5 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 12 | ASIA 26/08/2021
#5 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 12 | EU 26/08/2021
#5 La Vuelta Virtual 2021 – Stage 12 | USA 27/08/2021

 

So, ready to do this? There’s even a general classification. Rouvy will automatically pick your three best results. Want to see how you will fare? Go on and register, the capacity is limited.