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Stage 16 Preview
and Results

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Stage 16: Gijón → Valgrande-Pajares. Cuitu Negru
Date: Monday, September 3
Distance: 184 km
Categorized Climbs for Stage 16:

Km / To Go Climb Length Grade Max Cat Google Earth Streetview
45.6 / 138Alto de la Cabruñana4.4 km5.7 %n/a3
101 / 83Puerto de San Lorenzo10 km8.5 %12 %1
141.7 / 42Alto de la Cobertoria8 km8.6 %12 %1
184 / 0Valgrande-Pajares. Cuitunigru19.4 km6.9 %22 %HC


View Stage 16 in Google Earth (kml file) or Export the Stage 16 GPX file

Stage 16 start time: Monday 12:05 CEST (10:05:00 AM GMT+0000); Weather for Gijón, Spain
Earliest live video: 15:00 CEST (1:00:00 PM GMT+0000); Live/delayed coverage options
Approximate finish: 17:50 CEST (3:50:00 PM GMT+0000); Weather for Valgrande-Pajares. Cuitu Negru, Spain

This stage preview is available in the following languages:

(We are looking for translations in ALL other languages. Please submit your translation with the stage no. and language in the subject title. If you don't see your preview posted within 12 hours then please resend your preview as an attachment if you didn't already do so because we've had problems with some inline character sets like German.)

Stage 16 preview: Gijón → Valgrande-Pajares. Cuitu Negru, 184 km (Mountain)

September 2 update: Stage 16 is the third of three consecutive mountain stages and the most difficult featuring two cat 1 climbs before a hors categorie summit finish. It's being called the Queen Stage: the most important mountain stage of this year's race.

Starting near the Cantabric Sea, Stage 16 will head south from Gijón to Valgrande-Pajares and another epic summit finish this time on Cuitunigru (profile) after 184 km of racing in the Asturias. The final climb is almost 20 km in length averages 6.9% and hits a maximum grade of 22-25% (near the finish) according to different sources.

Alberto Contador said after Stage 15 that he was tired and not sharp due to his 6 month suspension and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) said Contador almost cracked him. In other words, we should be in for another good mountain stage battle on Sunday between the GC favorites before Tuesday's rest day. — Steve

Panoramic: Cuitu Negru, la Bola del Mundo Asturiana (04:56 Music) — MONTERO39X28
Rodríguez says he was close to cracking on Lagos de Covadonga — cyclingnews
Alberto Contador: “Suspension may have cost me the chance of Vuelta victory” — velonation