Stage 8: Distrito Telefónica to Valdesquí Comunidad de Madrid (89.5 km)
When: Sunday, May 5
Where to watch: 🇬🇧🇪🇺 Discovery +/Eurosport, 🇺🇸 Peacock, 🇨🇦 FloBikes, 🇦🇺 SBS
When to watch: 🇬🇧 11:00 BST, 🇪🇺 12:00 CEST, 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 6:00 EDT, 🇦🇺 21:00 AEST
Stage type: Big Mountains
What to expect: A final fight for red.
Stage summary:
La Vuelta wraps up on Sunday but not before the peloton tackles a couple more mountains. The final stage of the race is short, only 89.5 km, but includes two Category 1 climbs, so it’s not going to be the Madrid criteriums of old.
After they roll out of the headquarters for Spanish telecom company Telefónica (talk about product placement) the peloton will race 18 km before the first uncategorized climb of the day. The 8 km ascent is gradual, it peaks at 7% but averages 1.6% and it dips a few times, so it’s not a challenge but rather an opportunity for attacks to go before the big climbs later on.
The road leading into the first categorized climb of the day includes a 7 km descent and then levels out near the base of the climb, so the lead-in will be fast.
Puerto de la Morcuera is the first Category 1 ascent – 9.1 km averaging 6.8%. It was a large group we saw come over the top of the Category 2 climb during Stage 5, a stage with a similar profile, but this one is significantly harder. As they reach the top the roads start to pitch up to nearly 11%.
The peloton then descends for around 12 km on a two-lane technical road before they almost immediately start to climb again. On Thursday we saw groups come back together in between climbs, but that will not happen on Sunday. The turnaround between climbs is limited and with a harder climb preceding, it will be a smaller group that comes to the base of the final ascent together.
Fireworks are sure to fly on the first climb, think Kasia Niewiadoma’s attack during Stage 7 of the Tour de France last year. Anyone hoping to get a headstart on the final ascent has all of the first climb, or even the descent, to try to get away.
The final climb to Valdesqui is 12.8 km long and averages 4.8%, which includes the flat run to the line after the peak of the climb. Arguably it is the less challenging of the two, but as it comes second on the day the legs will already be tired once they reach the initial slopes. The most challenging section starts 9 km from the finish and lasts about 7 km. That one sector averages 7% with pitches above 10%.
Overall the final stage will be the hardest of this year’s Vuelta – with two brutal climbs and a lot of riders keen to change their general classification standings, this stage is a must-watch.
My pick: After her commanding performance on Stage 5 I can’t pick anyone but Vollering. She will want to solidify her victory with another stage win after missing out on Stage 6, and stamp her authority on the race she just lost to Annemiek van Vleuten in 2023.
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