Organisers of the Vuelta a España have unveiled the route for the 2010 edition of the race, which will start in Seville on Saturday August 28th with a night-time team time trial, and finish in Madrid on Sunday September 19. This year marks the 75h Anniversary of the Spanish Grand Tour.
Over the past 75 years Spain's Grand Tour has gone through many changes. In the first edition of the race 75 years ago, there were only 14 stages, with most of them more than 250 kilometers in distance. For the 2010 "Platinum" edition of the race, there will be 21 stages with an average of 170 kilometers in length.
The race includes six summit finishes, two of which will make their first appearance in 2010. With a total of nine mountain stages this Vuelta is one for the climbers. The climbing will begin early this year, starting with the 156 kilometer stage three from Marbella to Málaga. There the peloton will have to digest three categorized climbs, two of which are of the first category.
The 2010 Vuelta a España will cover 3,352 kilometers in total, and will see the the leader's jersey turn from golden to red in celebration of its 75 years.
Vuelta a España stages for 2010
Stage 1 Sevilla-Sevilla TTT (16.5km)
Stage 2 Alcalá de Guadaíra-Marbella (173km)
Stage 3 Marbella-Málaga (156km)
Stage 4 Málaga-Valdepeñas de Jaén (177km)
Stage 5 Guadix-Lorca (194km)
Stage 6 Caravaca de Cruz-Murcia (144km)
Stage 7 Murcia-Orihuela (170km)
Stage 8 Villena-Xorret del Catí (188.8km)
Stage 9 Calpe-Alcoy (187km)
Rest Day
Stage 10 Tarragona-Vilanova i la Geltrú (173.7km)
Stage 11 Vilanova i la Geltrú-Andorra (Vallnord/sector Pal) (208km)
Stage 12 Andorra la Vella-Lleida (175km)
Stage 13 Rincón de Soto-Burgos (193.7km)
Stage 14 Burgos-Peña Cabarga (178.8km)
Stage 15 Solares-Lagos de Covadonga (170km)
Stage 16 Gijón-Cotobello (179.3km)
Rest Day
Stage 17 Peñafiel-Peñafiel ITT (46km)
Stage 18 Valladolid-Salamanca (153km)
Stage 19 Piedrahita-Toledo (200km)
Stage 20 "San Martín de Valdeiglesias-Bola del MundoEtapa 7 Estrellas Comunidad de Madrid" (168.8km)
Stage 21 San Sebastián de los Reyes-Madrid 100km
ROUTE
From August 28th to September 19th
21 stages
Total Kms. roughly 3.337,9 kms.
STAGE DETAILS
11 flat
8 medium and high mountain
1 team time trial
1 individual time trial
CLIMB DETAILS
3 Hors category
10 First category
14 Second category
13 Third category
40 Total climbs
OTHER RACE DETAILS
6 high mountain finishes
16,5 kms. team time trial
46,0 kms. individual time trial
FIRST TIME TO HOST STAGE START
Alcalá de Guadaira
Caravaca de la Cruz
Villena
Vilanova
Rincón de Soto
Solares
Peñafiel Piedrahita
FIRST TIME TO HOST STAGE FINISH
Valdepeñas de Jaén
Orihuela
Vilanova i la Geltrú
Cotobello
Peñafiel
Bola del Mundo
