Stage 12: Salobrena – Penas Blancas, Estepona, 192.7km
This unusual stage first heads mainly downhill to the city of Córdoba, where two hilly loops await the peloton.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Salobrena is a popular tourist location in the Granada area thanks to the Arab fortress located there plus a general historic past. Its first time hosting a stage of the Vuelta is on a stage where the race returns to the mountains after a brief respite. Flat and fast early on, the second half of the stage features an uncategorized climb just after 130 kilometers of racing, and then more flat roads before a daunting finale.
The concluding climb was used once before, back in 2013, but this time around the ascent extends a further four km to make things more difficult. It is 19 km long and while it averages 6.7 percent, it includes sections which are considerably more steep, including four which are 14 percent or above. That spells opportunity for those who are feeling good, and danger for those who are not.