La Vuelta Espana 2012
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.
The La Vuelta Espana 2012 route
The 67th edition of the La Vuelta Espana , in 2012 starts on Saturday August 18 with the final stage in Madrid on Sunday September 9, 2012.
La Vuelta will start in the north of Spain in Pamplona and Madrid, and will have 21 stages over some 3,300 kilometers.
Breakdown of stages:
11 flat stages,
8 stages of middle and high mountain,
1 team time-trial stage.
1 individual time trial stage,
The race features some big stars in the international peloton as: Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Cobo, Joaquin Rodriguez, Denis Menchov, Damiano Cunego, Igor Anton, Robert Gesink, Thomas De Gent, Alejandro Valverde, Juanma Garate.
The stages of the 2012 La Vuelta Espana
Stage | Type | Date | Start and Finish | Distance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Teams time-trial | Saturday 18 August | Pamplona > Pamplona | 16,5 km |
2 | Plain | Sunday 19 August | Pamplona > Viana | 181,4 km |
3 | Mountains | Monday 20 August | Faustino V > Eibar (Arrate) | 155,3 km |
4 | Mountains | Tuesday 21 August | Barakaldo > Estación de Valdezcaray | 160,6 km |
5 | Plain | Wednesday 22 August | Logroño > Logroño | 168,0 km |
6 | Plain | Thursday 23 August | Tarazona > Jaca | 175,4 km |
7 | Plain | Friday 24 August | Huesca > Alcañiz. Motorland Aragón | 164,2 km |
8 | Mountains | Saturday 25 August | Lleida > Andorra. Collada de la Gallina | 174,7 km |
9 | Plain | Sunday 26 August | Andorra > Barcelona | 196,3 km |
Rest Day | Monday 27 August | |||
10 | Plain | Tuesday 28 August | Ponteareas > Sanxenxo | 190,0 km |
11 | Time-trial | Wednesday 29 August | Cambados > Pontevedra | 39,4 km |
12 | Plain | Thursday 30 August | Vilagarcía de Arousa > Mirador de Ézaro | 190,5 km |
13 | Plain | Friday 31 August | Santiago de Compostela > Ferrol | 172,8 km |
14 | Mountains | Saturday 1 September | Palas de Rei > Puerto de Ancares | 149,2 km |
15 | Mountains | Sunday 2 September | La Robla > Lagos de Covadonga | 186,5 km |
16 | Mountains | Monday 3 September | Gijón > Valgrande-Pajares. Cuitu Negru | 183,5 km |
Rest Day | Tuesday 4 September | |||
17 | Plain | Wednesday – 5 September | Santander > Fuente Dé | 187,3 km |
18 | Plain | Thursday 6 September | Aguilar de Campoo > Valladolid | 204,5 km |
19 | Plain | Friday 7 September | Peñafiel > La Lastrilla | 178,4 km |
20 | Mountains | Saturday 8 September | La Faisanera Golf. > Bola del Mundo | 170,7 km |
21 | Plain | Sunday 9 September | Cercedilla > Madrid | 115,0 km |