What do a West Bromwich Albion flag, a 20-seater minibus of sweaty journalists and the Timo Roosen fan club have in common? Not much, really… But they were all on the roadside of the iconic Alto de l’Angliru today, ready to welcome stage 13 of Vuelta a España as it returned to the Asturian icon for a 10th time.
Cycling’s circus of fandom is known for throwing up a random concoction of supporters, and though the numbers along the brutal climb couldn’t hold a candle to the hordes who went to see Alberto Contador’s last dance in 2017, it was my first time up such a historic climb.
The stage was already kicking off with a rapid start from Cabezón de la Sal, bringing the 25-rider breaker and the animation of the Angliru closer, but by 1:30 local time my ascent had begun, as the largely Spanish-speaking media and me piled onto the minibus and headed for the finish.
Some people were already posted for the afternoon in their camping chairs, others were making the trip that stage winner João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) would make three hours later – albeit with a much slower pace and without the fury with which the Portuguese rider ate up the kilometres on the front.
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