Stage 9: Villaviciosa – Les Praeres. Nava
Date: Sunday, August 28, 2022
Distance: 171.4km
Stage timing: 12:40-17:30 CET
Stage type: Mountain
While the GC men will have done battle on stage 8, the main contenders for the red jersey will have hopefully left something extra in the tank for the following day’s 171km stage before the race’s second rest day.
Again, the route is littered with numerous categorised climbs, including the first-category Mirador del Fito midway through. The main test, as ever, comes at the end, though. The steepest slopes are saved for the brutal finish at Les Praeres. Nava, where Simon Yates retook red for good in 2018.
The Asturian climb was tarmacked for the race four years ago, though it’s still an absolutely brutal finish despite the easier surface. It’s only 3.8km long but at an average of 13.8% and with stretches heading up 24% in place it’s a very hard finish that will again bring the time gains and losses.
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