Bodegas Faustino, in the Alava region of La Rioja, will mark the start of the stage that last year sealed the fate of Igor Anton in La Vuelta when a fall at the start of the climb to Cabarga Peña made him drop out of the race. The winding route of the stage, with a single category 3 mountain pass in the first half, may lead to a dangerous breakaway that the teams that are already taking positions for the general classification will have to watch for. The second half is more complicated with two mountain passes, Sía and Alisa. In addition the Peña Cabarga finish will force cyclists to save some energy, since the final climb is about six kilometres and has an average gradient of nearly 10%, with ramps that reach as high as 18%.by thunderthighs
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