2018 Vuelta a España Stage 19 Live Coverage
Welcome to our live coverage of Stage 19 of the 2018 Vuelta a España! Our live profile and commentary are below, followed by a preview of the technical aspects of the route.
Course Preview
The 19th stage at the Vuelta a España sets off in Lleida to head north to Andorra. The route climbs gradually for 154.4 kilometres to the foot of the only KOM of the day, which is the Col de la Rabassa. Summit finish at the end of the 17.5 kilometres climb at 6.3%.
Departure place Lleida is located at an altitude of 150 metres and the Rabassa begins at 940 metres. Generally the route is a rolling false flat with some sections standing out – for instance the upward stretch to Cubélls. The riders move through Oliana and La Seu d’Urgell to reach Sant Julià de Lòria at the foot of the Col de la Rabassa. The haul up to the top recently featured in the Vuelta’s of 2015 and 2017, although not as the final climb.
The Rabassa amounts to 17.5 kilometres and it kicks in hard with double digit ramps in the first half, yet the climb flattens out in the second half. The slope is mostly hovering around 4 to 5% with a few 7% sections standing out. When the flamme rouge flies over their heads the riders hit an uphill kick of 8%, and that’s it. The average gradient of the Col de la Rabassa is 6.3%.
The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint (at kilometre 136.7) comes with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
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