2021 Vuelta a España Stage 11 Live Coverage
Welcome to our live coverage of Stage 11 of the 2021 Vuelta a España! Our live profile and commentary are below, followed by a preview of the technical aspects of the route.
Course Preview
At 133.6 kilometres, the 11th stage on La Vuelta is a relatively short test. It's a lumpy race with a brutal finale. Shortly after a 9 kilometers climb the finish lies at a Wall with gradients kicking up to 30%.
The race opens on the flat roads north of Antequera, only to enter more rugged terrain after 20 kilometres. The route goes either up or down for the rest of the day.
The first ramp appears when the riders leave the valley of the Genil river to climb to Benamji. It’s a steep but non-classified test. Which goes to show how trying the race is. The first climbs that does receive a classification is the Puerto de Lagunillas at kilometre 57.
Meanwhile, the riders penetrate the scorching interior of Andalucia and, obviously, the heat will add to the fatigue.
With roughly 16 kilometers to go the finale begins with the Puerto de Locubín, which is a steady climb of 8.8 kilometres at 4.5%. The riders reach the summit with 8 kilometres to go before a fast descent on a straight road takes them down into Valdepeñas de Jáen.
The last kilometre in the village is nothing short of insane with ramps reaching 30%. La Vuelta included the finish climb three times before and Antón (2010), Joaquim Rodríguez (2011) and Daniel Moreno (2013) turned out on top.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds. Furthermore, 8, 5 and 2 seconds are available at the top of the Puerto de Locubín.
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