{"id":160882,"date":"2017-08-22T10:41:16","date_gmt":"2017-08-22T10:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=160882"},"modified":"2017-08-22T10:46:51","modified_gmt":"2017-08-22T10:46:51","slug":"la-vuelta-2017-important-stages-yet-come","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2017\/08\/22\/la-vuelta-2017-important-stages-yet-come\/","title":{"rendered":"La Vuelta 2017: Most Important Stages Yet to Come"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Vuelta is well under way, and we’ve already had the most technical of time trials, and a blistering crosswind at the end of stage 2 is an ominous sign of things to come. Which stages could upset the balance in 2017?<\/strong>
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Stage 7 \u2013 Ll\u00edria to Cuenca, 207km: Friday, 25th August<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The profile of this stage looks deceptively tame, but don\u2019t be fooled \u2013 this will be a torturous and gradual climb. The longest stage of the race, this stage could be the stage of a thousand cuts. If Team Sky aren’t bossing the peloton by the end of this stage, they’ll be worried.<\/p>\n

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LottoNL-Jumbo riders getting ready at the 2017 La Vuelta.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With three Cat 3 climbs, the GC riders will be competing with sprint teams eager to win points at the sprint when the peloton reaches the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Cuenca. A breakaway is possible, but this stage could be an early indicator of the tone the race will take.<\/p>\n

Stage 9: Orihuela to Cumbre del Sol, 174km: Sunday, 27th August<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Aside from a Cat 2 bump three quarters of the way into this stage, this race looks like a race for points and glory for the sprinters. But what a bump \u2013 it\u2019s a 10% climb for just shy of 4km, and Froome will remember this is where Dumoulin took the red jersey from him in 2015.<\/p>\n

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Vuelta 2017 Is Here, Who\u2019s Going to Win?<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n<\/div>\n

The route is unsheltered and there\u2019s plenty of potential for crosswinds from the Mediterranean to blow the peloton into echelons along the Levante coast. If this happens, the team that sticks together will have fun tearing apart less disciplined rivals.<\/p>\n

Stage 11 – Lorca to Observatorio Astron\u00f3mico de Calar Alto, 187.5km: Wednesday, 30th August<\/strong><\/h2>\n

No doubt there\u2019ll be a valiant attempt at a breakaway, and a part of me thinks a big team will make a move here. If Barguil feels fresh enough, there are plenty of points to offer incentives for him to keep a breakaway in check.<\/p>\n

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Observatorio Astron\u00f3mico de Calar Alto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This will either go in favour of the peloton, but if a team attacks in unison up the first climb, they could not only lay claim to the King of the Mountains \u2013 they could lay claim to the red jersey too.<\/p>\n

Stage 17 – Villadiego to Los Machucos, 180.5km: Wednesday, 6th September<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This stage has Nibali written all over it. A Cat 2 climb is followed by an extensive technical descent. If Nibali has a clear run at it, he\u2019s bound to attack \u2013 this kind of stage is what he thrives on. Problem is there\u2019s a sprint at the bottom so he\u2019ll have to shake the points contenders long before then.<\/p>\n

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Another problem for Nibali is Froome isn\u2019t afraid of making unexpected power grabs and isn\u2019t averse to attacking on descents. This stage requires nerves of steel and patience \u2013 measuring out your watts on a 31% gradient will pay dividends when you reach a nice relaxing gradient of 12.5% at the top\u2026<\/p>\n

Stage 20 – Corvera de Asturias to Alto de l\u2019Angliru, 117.5km: Saturday, 9th September<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Look at the stage profile and the last 3 mountains spell out a giant W, which may as well stand for What-the-hell?! Two Cat 1 climbs followed by one beyond categorization climb, with cliff edge descents in between. Just my luck that the most ridiculously exciting stage of any Grand Tour is happening on my wedding day.<\/p>\n