La Vuelta Espana 2011
La Vuelta Espana / Tour of Spain is an annual bicycle race that covers more than 3,500 kilometres (2,200mi) throughout Spain and a bordering country. The race usually lasts 23 days and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken down into day-long segments, called stages. Individual times to finish each stage are totalled to determine the overall winner for the race. The rider with the least elapsed time each day wears a yellow jersey. The course changes every year but it has always finished in Madrid.
La Vuelta a España, the Tour of Spain, is annual cycling road race, held in Spain and surrounding countries.
La Vuelta Espana 2011
Running from Saturday August 20th to Sunday September 11th 2011, the 66th La Vuelta Espana will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,300 kilometres.
These stages have the following profiles:
9 flat stages
10 mountain stages
1 team time-trial stage
1 individual time-trial stage
Distinctive aspects of the race
6 summit finishes
2 rest days
14 km. team time-trial
40 km. individual time-trial stage
La Vuelta Espana 2011 – Route map and Stages
1 Teams time-trial Saturday 20 August Benidorm – Benidorm 16,0 km
One week earlier than in previous years and the incomparable backdrop of Benidorm’s Playa de Poniente (West Beach in English) as the setting, 20 August 2011 will see the start the 66th edition of the Vuelta a España. A team time trial will be the first test for participants as the race returns to Spain’s Manhattan after a 12-year absence.
This will be the third time that Benidorm hosts La Vuelta; the first was in 1964 and the second in 1987, which was also a time trial. On this occasion, a very technical 16 K circuit leaving from the beach will test the coordination of the teams.
2 Plain Sunday 21 August La Nucía – Playas de Orihuela 171,5 km
The first few kilometres of the second stage, with a first-time start in La Nucia, gives us the first mountain pass of La Vuelta 2011. Alto de Relleu, a category 3 mountain pass, is the exception in this almost flat stage along the coast of Alicante.
After Alessandro Petacchi’s victory last year in Orihuela, La Vuelta returns to this seaside town to finish in a clearly expected sprint in which all teams with specialists will seek their opportunity to stand out.
3 Plain Monday 22 August Petrer – Totana 164,0 km
An unprecedented stage in the route of the Tour of Spain. Starting in the province of Alicante and finishing in Murcia, the third stage of the race will be one of the shortest this year.
This stage has a single category 3 mountain pass in the second half: Alto de la Santa. Located just over ten kilometres from the finish line, this looks like it could tempt the sprinters in the peloton in a stage that has all the marks of being conducive to a bunch finish.
4 Mountains Tuesday 23 August Baza – Sierra Nevada 172,0 km
5 Plain Wednesday 24 August Sierra Nevada – Valdepeñas de Jaén 200,0 km
6 Plain Thursday 25 August Úbeda – Córdoba 185,7 km
7 Plain Friday 26 August Almadén – Talavera de la Reina 185,0 km
8 Mountains Saturday 27 August Talavera de la Reina – San Lorenzo de El Escorial 182,0 km
9 Mountains Sunday 28 August Villacastín – Sierra de Bejar. La Covatilla 179,5 km
10 Time-trial Monday 29 August Salamanca – Salamanca 40,0 km
Rest Day Tuesday 30 August
11 Mountains Wednesday 31 August Verín – Estación de Esquí Alto de la Manzaneda 171,0 km
12 Plain Thursday 01 September Ponteareas – Pontevedra 160,0 km
13 Mountains Friday 02 September Sarria – Ponferrada 150,0 km
14 Mountains Saturday 03 September Astorga – La Farrapona. Lagos de Somiedo 173,2 km
15 Mountains Sunday 04 September Avilés – Anglirú 144,0 km
Rest Day Monday 5 September
16 Plain Tuesday 06 September Villa Romana La Olmeda (Palencia) – Haro 180,0 km
17 Mountains Wednesday – 07 September Faustino V – Peña Cabarga 212,5 km
18 Mountains Thursday 08 September Solares – Noja 169,7 km
19 Plain Friday 09 September Noja – Bilbao 157,9 km
20 Mountains Saturday 10 September Bilbao – Vitoria 187,0 km
21 Plain Sunday 11 September Circuito del Jarama – Madrid 94,0 km
