Vuelta a España - Stage 17

The Vuelta returns to the Altu de l’Angliru for the toughest summit finish of the season

The 2023 Vuelta a España promises a great battle for the red jersey

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Updated: September 13 2023

Key details

Date: 13 September

Length: 122km

Start: Ribadesell

Finish: Alto de L'Angliru

Timings: 13:40 - 17:15 (CET)

The day has finally arrived, when hopes go to perish and riders pedal their way into cycling folklore - it is time for the Altu de l’Angliru. Returning to the vicious climb that is revered by most as the toughest in Europe, the Vuelta will venture up the Angliru for the first time since 2020.

On that day, we saw the lanky Lancastrian Hugh Carthy paint his masterpiece, whilst Sepp Kuss had to shepherd his wounded Jumbo-Visma team leader Primož Roglič to the line. It was just another in a long line of memorable Vuelta stages to finish on the Angliru, a mountain which has seen eight summit finishes and beholds an illustrious list of winners such as Alberto Contador (2008, 2017), Roberto Heras (2002) and José María Jiménez (1999). Stage 17 is not all about the Angliru, however.

Before the riders quiver in their cleats at the prospect of getting to the top of the 12.4km-long climb unscathed, they must first summit two category 1 climbs in the Alto de la Colladiella (7.8km at 7.1%) and the Alto del Cordal (5.4km at 8.9%).

Vuelta a España stage 17 Route & Map

Given the behemoth that looms large over the end of the stage, don’t be surprised to see the breakaway build a healthy advantage over these preceding climbs, whilst the peloton braces itself for all-out war in the final kilometres. For this reason, we have seen the likes of Kenny Elissonde (2013) seal a breakaway stage win on the Angliru, whilst Contador’s victory in 2017 came as a result of clipping off the front in his final hurrah as a professional.

However, with the climbing pedigree of the elite GC riders these days, it is probably more likely that any breakaway hopefuls are slowly but surely mopped up on the Angliru’s cruel slopes. The climb itself averages an eye-watering 9.7% for 12.4km, and this average breathtakingly rises to 13.8% between 6.9-1.3km to go. It is throughout this portion of the climb, deemed as the Cueña les Cabres (goat track), that the steepest ramps of 24.7% will put the riders on their limits.

In our recent GCN+ original film, Angliru, David Millar spoke to Conor Dunne about the horrors that the Angliru posed the riders when included in the 2002 edition. The British rider bemoaned the brutality of the mountain, highlighting that many of the riders, team cars and camera motorbikes had little idea what they were getting themselves into. In the modern day and age, such worries should not limit the riders.

In all likelihood, the rider in the red jersey at the end of stage 17 may well turn out to be the overall winner of this year’s Vuelta a España. If they are able to conquer the hellish slopes of the Angliru and stand proud at the end of the day in the red jersey, they should have little to fear from the rest of the race, barring accident or illness. For that reason, this is the most must-watch stage of the entire Vuelta.

Climbs:

km 75.6 - Alto de la Colladiella, 7.8km at 7.1% (cat 1)
km 103.2 - Alto del Cordal, 5.4km at 8.9% (cat 1)
km 124.2 - Altu de l’Angliru, 12.4km at 9.7% (hors catégorie)

The profile of the Angliru

We’ll be showing live and on-demand coverage of all 21 stages of this year’s Vuelta a España from Saturday, August 26 to Sunday, September 17, plus daily expert analysis on The Breakaway. Head over to GCN+ now to check the start times of each broadcast so that you don’t miss out on a moment of the action! As always, territory restrictions will apply.

To watch our GCN+ original film looking at the barbaric Altu de l’Angliru, click here!