Stage 4: Vitoria-Gasteiz – Laguardia
Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2022
Distance: 152.5km
Stage timing: 13:40-17:30 CEST
Stage kind: Hilly
Following three days within the Netherlands and an early relaxation day, the Vuelta a España returns to residence soil on Tuesday for a 152.5km hilly route from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Laguardia. Count on the Basque followers to line the route because the race visits three Basque provinces over its three weeks for the primary time since 2012. And it has been over half a century for the reason that race has visited Laguardia, final in 1967.
The beginning within the capital of the area final hosted a Vuelta stage two years in the past and is a well-known host from Itzulia Basque Nation. The mediaeval metropolis centre sits on a hill with a fortified wall above the Zadorra River and overlooks the excessive mountain peaks to come back.
The peloton faces rolling terrain for the primary 50 kilometres, after which the ups and downs throughout Álava start. The route consists of two KOM climbs, the second-category Puerto de Opakua (5 kilometres at 6.9%) and after 68km of punchy climbing the third-category Puerto de Herrera (7.3 kilometres at 4.8%) arrives. The Herrera mountain move comes with simply 15km to the end and will present a launching pad for riders to the sharp kick within the remaining 800 metres of the race, which tops out at near 10%.
Uphill end favourites
The route from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Laguardia is properly suited to the defending world champion, Julian Alaphilippe.
Latest historical past is on the Frenchman’s facet, too, provided that Alaphilippe took a memorable victory this spring in Itzulia within the close by city of Viana on very related terrain, with none aside from Evenepoel offering the leadout. With greater than 2,000 meters of vertical climbing however simply two categorized climbs, the probability of a decreased bunch dash or battle between a small breakaway deciding the stage on the tough however brief uphill end are certainly as excessive as they have been this April.
Among the many GC favourites, barring Roglič, it is tougher to pick a reputation who is perhaps a rival to Alaphilippe. The climb might be not robust sufficient for quick mountain-top finishers like Ineos chief Richard Carapaz, Astana’s Miguel Angel López or Bora’s Sergio Higuita. However no one will wish to be too far again and danger getting caught out by late crashes or splits, so making an attempt merely to remain out of hassle will not be actually an choice.
