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Stage 3 » Mijas › Málaga (164.6k)
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This looks like one for the sprinters, with the categorised climbs coming early enough in the race that they should pose no problems. The race starts at Le Cala de Mijas, a small coastal town almost exactly halfway between Marbella and Malaga. Le Cala is famous for its restaurants and golf courses and is a very popular tourist destination on the Costa del Sol, nestled between the mountains of the Sierra de Mijas Natural Park and the Med. The route takes the riders inland and they start the first climb after only 8km, the Cat 3 Alto de Mijas, which is a sharp but mercifully short climb.
After Alto de Mijas the peloton will drop back out of the hills towards the coast and Malaga. They pass through the City and back inland toward the first serious test of this year's Vuelta, the Cat 1 Puerto del Leon. This is 16km at 5% average. It is a fairly steady climb, although it does have about 400km at 15% after about 10km. Luckily there is a section where riders can recover immediately after this as the gradient drops back down to about 2%. This climb is far too far from the end of the stage for attacks to be successfully launched from this climb. With 80km still to go, they will take this climb fairly slowly and no-one should be dropped here. Following the climb they head back towards the coast and when they hit the town of Torre Del Mar they turn back towards Malaga, heading all the way in on the coast road.
About 12km from the finish the riders hit an uncategorised lump. It rises then there is a short descent before some more sharp ramps, a small bit of flat and a descent. The peak is at 10km from the finish, and as most of the sprinters that are lining up are reasonable climbers this section shouldn’t exclude anyone from the finale. The finish itself in Malaga is straightforward, but there are two sections that will require maximum concentration, and positioning will be important for anyone with designs on the stage. There is a right/left chicane at 3km, and then just before the flamme rouge there is a 270degree right hander that brings the riders onto Alameda Principal. This road turns into Paseo Del Parque with 350m left, and this finishing straight is 7.3m wide. Nacer Bouhanni is the fastest man in the Vuelta Peloton, and his Cofidis train is starting to work. However, John Degenkolb has 9 Vuelta stages to his name, his Giant team are bound to put him in a fantastic position and with the late corners he could win today.
Map
Profile
This looks like one for the sprinters, with the categorised climbs coming early enough in the race that they should pose no problems. The race starts at Le Cala de Mijas, a small coastal town almost exactly halfway between Marbella and Malaga. Le Cala is famous for its restaurants and golf courses and is a very popular tourist destination on the Costa del Sol, nestled between the mountains of the Sierra de Mijas Natural Park and the Med. The route takes the riders inland and they start the first climb after only 8km, the Cat 3 Alto de Mijas, which is a sharp but mercifully short climb.
After Alto de Mijas the peloton will drop back out of the hills towards the coast and Malaga. They pass through the City and back inland toward the first serious test of this year's Vuelta, the Cat 1 Puerto del Leon. This is 16km at 5% average. It is a fairly steady climb, although it does have about 400km at 15% after about 10km. Luckily there is a section where riders can recover immediately after this as the gradient drops back down to about 2%. This climb is far too far from the end of the stage for attacks to be successfully launched from this climb. With 80km still to go, they will take this climb fairly slowly and no-one should be dropped here. Following the climb they head back towards the coast and when they hit the town of Torre Del Mar they turn back towards Malaga, heading all the way in on the coast road.
About 12km from the finish the riders hit an uncategorised lump. It rises then there is a short descent before some more sharp ramps, a small bit of flat and a descent. The peak is at 10km from the finish, and as most of the sprinters that are lining up are reasonable climbers this section shouldn’t exclude anyone from the finale. The finish itself in Malaga is straightforward, but there are two sections that will require maximum concentration, and positioning will be important for anyone with designs on the stage. There is a right/left chicane at 3km, and then just before the flamme rouge there is a 270degree right hander that brings the riders onto Alameda Principal. This road turns into Paseo Del Parque with 350m left, and this finishing straight is 7.3m wide. Nacer Bouhanni is the fastest man in the Vuelta Peloton, and his Cofidis train is starting to work. However, John Degenkolb has 9 Vuelta stages to his name, his Giant team are bound to put him in a fantastic position and with the late corners he could win today.
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Be interesting to see if Bouhanni is fully recovered from yesterday - seemed to be caught up in the crash.
Want to have a look at the sprinters before forming opinions, so no bets for me for this stage. Bouhani took a couple of stage wins against inferior opposition in the Tour de l'Ain, but may be a little sore; and Degenkolb hasn't raced since a poor showing in the Tour. Like the look of Danny van Poppel ever since that uphill win from Gilbert in stage 5 of the Tour de Wallonie into Thuin a couple of starts ago, but he has a DNF in the Eneco Tour, last start.
I think the long-range breakaway riders are going to fry out in front under a hot sun today, and there will be some substantial wind around also according to the weather forecasts, which makes a bunch sprint more likely, although that uncategorised lump near the end which MC mentions may have a significant influence for a strong man to attack and hold on with a late attack.
Good luck to all,
SP
I think the long-range breakaway riders are going to fry out in front under a hot sun today, and there will be some substantial wind around also according to the weather forecasts, which makes a bunch sprint more likely, although that uncategorised lump near the end which MC mentions may have a significant influence for a strong man to attack and hold on with a late attack.
Good luck to all,
SP
8 man break with 4:20 approaching the big climb of the day
*Chute de Bouhanni* I'm on Degenkolb today. I'd rather he won without anyone crashing but it doesn't do the big German's chances any harm if Bouhanni isn't on the premises today.
i had a few coins on Sagan, hopeing that Tinkoff will set a high pace over the last mini climb to try and drop/put in difficulty the other sprinters. Will probly come 2nd
Tinkoff were setting the pace alright but looks like everyone is over the climb
Sagan wins 
Bouhanni looked to beat Degenkolb to second
Bouhanni looked to beat Degenkolb to second
well my reasoning was well out but a result is a result. The win was made when Sagan muscled his way to Degenkolbs wheeeel
Tomorrow isn't a day for the sprinters but Sagan could be there
TCS on the front for much of the day signalled Sagan's claims, but what an illustration of good sensations when he came off Degenkolb's wheel and was so supple on the pedals yet so strong -- wow -- that was a proper sprint from him, he has taken that right to the line, and he actually looks up for the line so he can time his lunge to perfection, not that he needed to. Good to see him winning again -- monkey off the back, finally.
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