The course of the Tour of Spain was announced yesterday and it promises to be another great round. Not only with the start in Netherlands, from which you can get plenty of inspiration for your next micro adventure, but the stages in Spain are also to be enjoyed. The route finishes no fewer than nine uphill stages in La Vuelta 2022. Should you be bored next summer, a cycling holiday in the wake of La Vuelta might be an idea. We list the climbs. You can put them on your bucket list right away! So enjoy 9x an uphill finish in Spain: La Vuelta 2022!
Pico Jano
The first stunner the riders will encounter in 2022 is the ascent of the Pico Jano in Cantabria. That this climb is news seems logical: the last 4 kilometres of this goat trail must be still paved become. That this is no easy task is clear from the profile. The climb is not one of extreme length, but between kilometres three and four you are well above the 9%. After a stretch of false flat, the surprise lies 600 metres before the line. With almost 15% of ascent, the riders, but also you as a bike tourist, will need to have good legs. A nice
Colláu Fancuaya
This climb is unknown to most cyclists. Logical, as this climb has not been in the Vuelta route before. In this stage, the run-up is quite long, but the dessert is the most important. This is another case of a Vuelta climb that just keeps going up. The steeper, the better. It's a real goat trail that averages 10% uphill in the final kilometres, peaking at 13%. Painful. This one may also go back into the list: monster climbs in the region Asturias.
Les Praeres
We stay in Asturias for a while, with the finish atop Les Praeres. At almost five kilometres long and averaging an insane 13.5(!)%, Les Praeres de Nava is a monster of its own. Don't forget, too, that some strips peak above 20%. Not normal, especially for a final climb.
Peñas Blancas
With over 16 kilometres at an average of 6.2%, the 'steep white cliff' is a nice finish to the twelfth stage in Andalusia. The first section is mostly irregular, with peaks of 14%, but with eight kilometres to go it all becomes more bearable. Although. The average is still well above 7% and there are vicious peaks of 10%+. This is where the pros are going to give each other a hard time. For amateurs like us, it will mostly be a blessing once they get to the top. According to Cyclingcols, the climb is comparable to the Crans-Montana climb, which we rode ourselves last summer. That was pretty hard work.
Sierra La Pandera
This climb, further west in Andalucia, is no stranger to the pros. Back in 2017, this climb was once the focal point of a stage. Now it is included again and a bit depending on which route you take, this is a hard tough climb. Whichever way you look at it, for almost eight kilometres you ride up at 8% average, with a steepest kilometre at 13.5%. With six kilometres to go, you won't actually get below 10%, except on the last kilometre. This will be sweat and toil, as you go to an altitude of 1832 metres here, among the rocks. Little shelter, in other words. You can never have too little to drink with you and, especially in summer, rubbing in is desirable. But beware: in winter, there can just be snow lie!
Sierra Nevada
We now climb to the ski resort of Sierra Nevada. Once, a World Ski Championship was supposed to be held there, but it did not happen, and for a good reason: there was no snow. That was back in the days when fake snow wasn't trendy and people thought with lots of praying and a real procession (real life) could still save the World Cup. It became 'nada, enchilada'. Unfortunately peanut butter.
Still beautiful, then, that you can cycle here in summer. Although, nice: the climb is one of the longest kind. 30 kilometres long, about 6% average and so you climb to over 2,500 metres altitude. The last five kilometres you won't get below 7% and between kilometre twelve and six you will also have to endure quite a bit. No easy ride, then, and combined with the altitude of the finish, this is a real battle of attrition. One big advantage though: you have a sea view!
Alto del Piornal
Another nice goat trail, this time in Extremadura. The length of this climb mainly makes the difference as it is not very steep here. With over 16 kilometres at an average 5%, this is going to hurt riders. If you also look at the scenery, it will be a tough climb in summer. As an amateur, you'll be glad when you're a kilometre below the top, because that's where the climb completely flattens out. Should you go up in summer: bring plenty of water, because again, you ride in the open plain in the burning sun.
Puerto de Cotos - Navacerrada
The climb an sich will inspire little fear. 16 kilometres in length, 4.2%, piece of cake for the average pro. But in this Vuelta 2022, there is also some 'hill work' in the kilometres leading up to the climb, so don't forget to turn on the TV at this stage! As a cycling tourist, the climb to this ski resort near Madrid is a nice training climb. Not too steep, not too difficult. Although: the devil is in the last seven kilometres, when the gradients don't go below 6.5%. The last five kilometres are even 7.5% average! Das punishing fare!
This was it: 9x Uphill finish in Spain: La Vuelta 2022! If you still don't have enough inspiration? Then check out this article on five bizarre climbs in Spain.
