Vuelta a Andalucia Prologue Preview

The Vuelta a Andalucia kicks off on the 19th of February, providing us with a chance to get an early look at riders' form and - for fans in cycling's North European homelands - a reminder of what the sun looks like. It's an event with a long pedigree, having first been run in 1925 (though that was the last one until 1955), and has been won by some of the greatest names in the sport over the years, including Rudi Altig, Freddy Mertens, Gerrie Knetemann, Oscar Freire and Joost Posthuma.

Castillo de Sancti Petri, San Fernando
(image credit: Peejayem CC BY-SA 2.5)

The prologue is an almost perfectly flat 6km time trial to be held along the Avenida San Juan Bosco in San Fernando, a town known locally as La Isla - and it was in fact an island at one time though it's since been connected to the mainland and as such has become a peninsula, the natural defensive advantages of this geography being a major factor in the city's resistance to Napoleon's forces in 1810, when San Fernano and the Province of Cadiz surrounding it were the only part of Spain that didn't become subject to French control. There is archaeological evidence of human inhabitation stretching right back to into palaeolithic times in the region, but San Fernando didn't become a city until the Phoenicians developed it into an important centre of the fish salting industry. They also built a temple to their god Melkart here, which was later re-dedicated to Hercules when the Romans took control of the region. The Romans established many potteries and built the first bridge between the island and the mainland, which allowed the city to become rich - however, it was during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella that it really became prosperous, its port being one of the main arrival points for ships laden with goods and gold from the newly-discovered Americas. While San Fernando resisted Napoleon, it fell to the French in 1823, two years after his death. This point marks the beginning of the city's downfall - once the French had left, five years later, it became lawless until the 1868 Revolution when it was taken over by Juan Bautista Topete when he formed a rebel government standing in opposition to that of Queen Isabel II. As a result, the city came under frequent bombardment from the Royalist Navy and sustained much damage. The 20th Century was not kind to San Fernando - the hardships that all Spain endured under the Fascist government of Franco was compounded here by the loss of the ship-building industry and the decline of salt-manufacturing. Neither was ever replaced and, to make matters worse, the population began to grow rapidly during the latter half of the century and now stands at around 97,000 - this had led to widespread unemployment and poverty. While the city enjoys some income from tourism, it remains one of the poorest in Spain and as such will be thankful for the influx of people and euros attracted by the race.

The riders start just across the road from the police station (36°27'53.20"N 6°11'32.44"W) and travel south-west along the wide dual-carriageway road, past the Instituto de Educacion Secundaria Sancti-Petri on the left with a peculiar igloo-shaped portico and a conical steeple - this marks the location of the finish line. There are many empty lots along the street, behind which buildings in varying states of repair can be seen. but the clean and modern structures by the roadside show that limited prosperity is returning to the city. The road surface is good here, but a shallow gulley and low kerb on the right - separating the road from parking places - may be best avoided as it appears to collect dust which, very often, means there'll also be broken glass, stones and other puncture-causing debris. This feature extends along almost the entire parcours, in and out. Unless the road is resurfaced for the event, riders will also need to look out for potholes around a drain cover as they pass by the Calle San Nicolas as it leads off to the right 190m from the start (marked 1 on the map) - there's a narrow smooth strip to the left of the drain, whereas the route to the right is wider but will require deft handling to avoid hitting the kerb directly ahead which protrudes some was into the road before the roadside parking spaces begin again.

The parcours (click for enlargement)
(mapping: OpenStreetMap CC BY-SA 2.0)

65m ahead, the landscape opens up on the left of the road and we get our first glimpse of the remains of the salt-producing areas. Other than a few ramshackle bits of wood here and there, nature has taken over to such an extent that from ground level the area looks like a salt marsh. From above, the regimented and geometric layout can clearly be seen. Small craft are able to navigate the tidal channels and boat-owning locals may well use it as a good place from which to see the riders pass. 390m from the start, the parcours arrives at the Ronda del Estero roundabout (2). The palm trees in the centre are encircled by a ring of gravel which, if any has managed to get into the road, could cause problems in the same way that the gravel that collects on the outer edge of mountain hairpins does, but if the road has been swept the section around the ronda is not technical and unlikely to cause problems - however, construction sites along the road may mean diesel spills on the road surface as riders turn when arriving at and leaving the feature.

It's a pancake-flat parcours - expect to see the time trial specialists getting up to
full speed.

Having left the roundabout behind, the riders pass onto the Avenida de la Ronda del Estero; a road that is perfectly straight and, but for a few drain covers, free of hazards for half a kilometre. Due to the short length of the stage, riders will be likely to get up to high speeds on both the outward and inward journeys along this section. It ends at a roundabout almost identical to the previous one and presents the same dangers, then enters a 406m section that curves gradually to the right and is again hazard-free apart from a few drain covers. The next roundabout (3) also has gravel and is made slightly more technical than the last as the right-hand passage around it is tighter. The following 461m section is much like the previous but curves gradually to the left, the road surface remaining good throughout, then it arrives at another roundabout with more gravel (4). The passage around this one is tighter than the last, but not so tight as to make crashes likely. Meanwhile, the Avenida de la Constitucion de 1978 to the right is one of the main roads leading into the city and the road surface shows evidence of sand dropped from construction site traffic - this and diesel spills could form a potential hazard if not removed.

Iglesia de San Pedro y San Pedro
(image credit: Peejayem CC BY-SA 2.5)

The following section, just under 1km in length, is the final one before riders reach the turning point and head back to the finish line. It bends slightly left 110m after the roundabout (5), then runs perfectly straight until the very end. The surface is very good for the initial 190m after the roundabout until the road reaches the Calle del Pinto Torres Aley on the right (5a) - some rather poor quality repairs here had left a rough section and an ideal place for bits of glass and so on to collect, but this may have been put right since. There were a few rough spots by the construction sites a little further on, but if these have been completed the road is likely to have been resurfaced - in which case, it'll be a fast section. The road ends at the turning point marked by a small roundabout (6) on the Calle Cayo Junio Draco - passage around it is tight and the road here was in bad shape in the past due to heavy vehicles from the construction sites directly ahead, but again this may have been repaired.

The return journey uses the opposite side of the road which, for the first 800m, is straight and good quality; thus allowing riders to get a fast start. It then reaches same rough section as before by the Calle del Pinto Torres Aley (5a), but the hazard is increased here because vehicles leaving the marshy area to the right leave large amounts of sand (and, in wet weather, mud) on the road, making it slippery. Caution is required as far as the first roundabout (5). Getting around the roundabout is straightforward - the bends are reasonably tight, but the road is wide and offers plenty of room for a bike. The race is now on the 461m section  between roundabouts, the surface on this side being equally as good as the opposite but the passage about the next roundabout is also tight (4). The following 406m section is very good and ends in a less technical roundabout (3), as is the next half kilometre; though the open area to the right (3a), which appears to be used as a car and lorry park, tends to result in sand on the road - and as ever with trucks, possible diesel spills. If the wind is blowing from the east, riders may also need to look out for carrier bags and other litter blown across from this area.

Salt marshes to the east of the parcours
(image credit: Peejayem CC BY-SA 2.5)

The next roundabout is the Ronda del Estero (2) - there is another large, open area to the right here (2a) which makes this passage around it potentially more hazardous than earlier because gravel from the roundabout is joined by sand: photographs of the section show a lot of it on the tarmac. Once around it, the riders pass back onto the Avenida San Juan Bosco for the final section; as straight and smooth as the opposite side and hence an ideal spot for spectators who wish to see just how fast professional time trial specialists can ride - they'll be travelling at full speed along this final part of the course. The finish line is by the  igloo-shaped portico at the Instituto de Educacion Secundaria Sancti-Petri (36°27'51.00"N 6°11'33.90"W).

More stages: Pro 1 2 3 4 (not yet available)
Provisional start list

Dutch start for 2015 Vuelta?

Dutch race organiser Jos Vaessen and the organisers of the Vuelta a Espana will discuss the prospect of the 2015 event starting in the Netherlands, says Wielerland.nl.

If it goes ahead, the first weekend would be spent in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe, the heartlands of Dutch cycling where the sport enjoys enormous popularity.

Rodriguez backs Contador for the Vuelta

Joaquim Rodriguez
(image credit: Haggisnl
CC BY 3.0)

Katusha's Spanish climber Joaquim Rodriguez - a man who knows a thing or two about mountains - says that if  cleared by the Court for Arbitration in Sport, Alberto Contador will be the man to watch in this year's extremely hilly Vuelta a Espana.

With no fewer than nine stages ending with challenging climbs and six featuring steep sections en route, sprinters are down to jut six stages in which they'll have any real chance of success this year. It's a strength-sapping, difficult parcours where a rider such a Contador, who can keep going long after others have run out of energy, can do well. However, Rodriguez believes that he too ha the chance to perform well.

"If he's there, Alberto Contador will be the favorite by far. There are beautiful and difficult uphill finishes, which suit me. The individual time trial - a nightmare for me - is limited," he says, referring to the much-reduced 40km ITT that in addition to the lack of sprinters' stages makes the race very much one for the grimpeurs alone.

Sammy Sanchez of Euskaltel-Euskadi also sounds optimistic, telling L'Equip that while there are many summit finishes, "these are short... not endless."

Movistar's Juan José Cobo, who won the event last year when he rode on a wildcard entry with Geox-TMC after an amazing ride in which he made the dreaded Alto de l'Angliru with its gradients approaching 24% look easy, says that the three stages in Sanchez's homeland the Asturias Mountains will be key to winning the race. "This is super demanding Vuelta. Maybe even too much for me," he adds, "This course is perhaps too pointed for me."

Vuelta heads for the hills

Los Ancares is just one of the aspects of the 2012 Vuelta
that make it very much a race for the climbers
(image credit: FCPB CC BY-SA 3.0)

The 2012 Tour de France bowed out of the mountains arms race that has seen the three Grand Tours adding longer, steeper and ever more challenging climbs as the battled to lay claim to the toughest Queen Stage over the last few years, finally deciding that enough is enough and organising an event that a non-grimpeur might have a chance of winning rather than searching out some topography to outdo the Mortirolo, Zoncolan and Angliru; but the Vuelta a Espana has apparently reminded itself that a far a many fans are concerned, the mountains maketh the tour and gone in the other direction entirely, introducing more and tougher climbs for this year.

Last year's race, which ventured into the Basque Country for the first time in a generation, proved that there are some beautiful mountain roads in the north of Spain and this year the race has a very northern flavour - there are no stages south of Madrid, seemingly a strange choice since the sport ha a large fan base in the lower latitudes of the country. Coll de la Gallina, Los Ancares, Bola del Mundo, Valdezcaray, Lagos de Covadonga, Cuitu Negro, the Coll de la Gallina and Arrate will all test the peloton to the limit - last year, Mark Cavendish abandoned the race; explaining that he's a sprinter and the race had no sprints left. This year, the sprinters have their chances reduced to Stages 10, 12, 13, 17, 19, and 21, with 2 and 18 not out of reach for those who suffer less than others on the climbs. That's six sprint stages of which 13, 19 and 21 will by no means be easy wins - so who knows how many will even bother showing up?

It's not going to be a race for the time trial specialists either, with organisers reducing the individual TT to a mere 40km, so expect teams to send their finest climbers to compete on some stunning and very hard stages.

Stages 1-21 altimetry (click to enlarge):

Vuelta a España - Stage 7 Preview

Despite being the site of mercury mining
for 2000 years, Almaden is famous for
its wildlife - including the rare European
Lynx

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The peloton might wonder if they got a dose of mercury vapours from the mines underneath start town Almaden today, because if there's one thing this supposedly plain stage isn't it's flat - but as the numerous climbs are uncategorised and thus feature no pots of golden climbing points waiting at the summits, the riders may well be asking themselves if they're mad to even bother. Don't think this will be an easy stage win for a climber though, because the organisers have cunningly arranged one intermediate sprint at 130km, another at 160km and then a probable sprint finish 27km further on. It's one of those stages that makes prediction impossible until the day - and even then, unless some plucky roleur fancies himself as Eddy Merckx for the day and hammers off on a heroic solo break, it could go to anyone and the race will in all likelihood be decided in the final few kilometres.

Almaden - and the mines that made it rich, also giving the town its name from the Arabic al-ma'din, "the mine" - owe their existence to the world's largest reserves of cinnabar, the ore from which mercury is extracted, and the town has produced more of the metal than anywhere else on the planet. This led to great wealth from the 16th Century onwards when new techniques using mercury to extract gold and silver from ore were developed, with the majority of Almaden's output being shipped to the Americas.

Work in the mines was extremely dangerous and death - from accidents as well as exposure to the highly toxic mercury - was common, so from 1566 to 1801 convicts and African slaves were forced to carry out the work (convict labour was halted in 1801, slave labour presumably continued for another decade until Spain abolished slavery at home and in all but three of its colonies in 1811). Conditions were so bad that a Royal commission recommended wide-reaching changes in the 1580s, an unusual move for those times which suggests just how atrocious the work must have been. However, even after improvements a quarter of all convict labourers died before their sentences were completed and almost all suffered at least some medical complaint, from severe pain in the joints to insanity. The last mine finally closed in 2000, following a fall in international mercury prices which left the operation no longer financially viable.

Almaden's hexagonal bullring is undoubtedly a beautiful
building. It's just a shame it can't be used for something
that doesn't involve the pointless torture of animals.

Almaden also has the second oldest bullring in Spain, unique for its hexagonal plan. Those of you who have read our previous Vuelta stage previews will know our opinion on the so-called sport of bullfighting, so that's all we'll say about the place other than that the riders start off right outside, then turn onto the N-502 and continue along the wide and easy road until reaching the end of the neutral zone in the extraordinarily flat landscape north of the town. The parcours remains flat for a few kilometres, then climbs Puerto Grande and Puente Rayo at 615m and 630m in the first 11km.

From this point onwards, the road consists of long straight sections with occasional tight bends; a tricky arrangement as the straights can have an effect similar to mesmerism, causing a rider's reactions to become sluggish when a bend approaches. After passing between forested hills, there's a potentially hazardous "U" shaped band leading to a very narrow - and extremely pretty - bridge at the 15km point; usually with no more than a trickle of water below, but the six arches, wide course and stocky foundations are proof that the river isn't always a tiny stream. As the road narrows to cross, this is another potential hazard as the peloton needs to spread out in order to pass by, regrouping on the opposite side. A wide expanse of green fills the space between and to either side of this river and its northern neighbour the Rio Frio, then it's back into more aridity as the race approaches a junction with the CM-4103, traveling right through and crossing another bridge.

Herrera del Duque Castle.

After 44.7km, the road arrives at a junction where the peloton turn onto the N-430 heading west, across another bridge. It passes south of a green ridge, then arrives at another of the deviously twisted complex junctions with which the Spanish like to decorate their nation's landscape. Here, the riders turn right onto the N-502a which extends via three long, straight sections to Herrera del Duque, located in a region rather surprisingly named La Siberia.

Herrera's peculiar-looking castle was built at some point during the 15th and 16th Centuries by the de Sotomayor family who had taken clever advantage of civil and military unrest throughout the country to make themselves fabulously wealthy and powerful. Sitting atop a rocky outcrop, it contrives to look far larger than it really is and, somehow, more impregnable - which it in fact would not have been, since medieval military historians have identified serious flaws in the design including weak points which would have been impossible to defend from within. The Plaza de España is considered the town's finest thoroughfare, its polished black jasper fountain standing in stark contrast with the gleaming white walls of the surrounding buildings, but there are many other fine streets. Near the town is a semi-ruined medieval bridge across a rocky stream, looking for all the world as though a giant has picked up a piece of the Yorkshire Dales and put it back down again here. A number of fine mansions stand within and around the town, the finest of them all being the vast and fortified Palacio de Cijara, built in 1873 to serve as the home of Count Villapadierna.

The road just clips the north-eastern edge of the town before veering north, a route which unfortunately gives us a view of yet another bull-torturing-ring before heading off and over another narrow bridge and entering one of the most beautiful sections of the entire 2011 race, the huge and fractal Embalse de Garcia de Sola, an artificial reservoir created by several dams and occupying a series of shallow valleys to form a lightning bolt shape some 60km from end to end. The parcours uses a modern concrete bridge across a narrow inlet, just to the right of a much older stone bridge, then comes to a longer bridge stretching across one of the main courses and offering superb views of the lake and surrounding countryside. On the opposite bank is Castilblanco, a town built on a hill rising around 50m from its surrounds, which the race passes by to the south, west and north.

An engraving of the Templar castle at Castilblanco.

Those who go in search of the white castle will be disappointed, as it vanished long ago - a pity, since it's said to have been very impressive and there's some evidence of Templar connections. What's more, it never was white - blanco is believed to derive from the tabards worn by the knights. However, the town has much else to recommend it, including the Iglesia de San Cristóbal - the tower of which is the last surviving part of the castle. Sadly, the church has been subject to several rather poor restorations over the years and has little of its original splendour. Prior to a fire in the 19th Century, it was famous for a remarkable carved wooden ceiling; this being replaced by a poor copy which was itself destroyed during the Civil War.

One Castilblanco is left behind, the N-502 climbs for a few kilometres before dropping into a forested section, crosses a bridge and then sweeps through several wide bends before coming to more forest. Soon, it reaches the dam holding back the Embalse de Cijara, another artificial lake, located within a National Hunting Reserve. Deer, wild boar, deer, otters, eagles, quail, bobcats and black storks are frequently seen around the lake. The road narrows as it passes into the pine forest surrounding the lake and takes in four potentially slippery bends before a very tight left corner, then starts to climb up to Puerto Rey; reaching an altitude of 620m just as the village is reached 109km from the start. The village doesn't have any of the grand sights to which we become so accustomed during the Vuelta, but that's due not so much to its diminutive size as to not needing them, such is the glory of its location high in the rolling hills and surrounded by mixed forest inhabited by deer and wild boar in great numbers.

The dusty little towns of Spain are often
quite poor, meaning that ancient
features such as this water trough in
Sevilleja de la Jara remain in place, rather
than being demolished to make way for
new  developmentsas they would
in wealthier towns.

The descent is fast, dropping over 100m in a little over a kilometre, but has just one wide bend and as a result should cause no problems. It then climbs again, reaching almost 700m before the road becomes poker straight for a while, then negotiates some simple bends just before and around Sevilleja de la Jara. The village dates from the 13th Century, when it was founded by a group of Moors fleeing persecution - they picked a superb location for their new home in an area made fertile by several small rivers and with mountains rising to over 1200m a little over a kilometre away. Today, the local economy depends largely upon hunting - you can say what you like about hunting, but hunters do want wide tracts of countryside well-stocked with wildlife, and there's plenty of that here. The views towards and from the village are stunning, especially after rain when the fields erupt with wild flowers, and we'll get some of the best of them as the peloton swings by the western edge. After another kilometre it passes east past Gargantilla, a small and unpretentious village lacking in fine buildings but rich in interesting - if somewhat neglected - detail, the sort of place that those tourists seeing real Spain and experience Spanish life as led by a probable majority of the Spanish people.

The road north to La Nava de Ricomalillo passes through a wide irrigated section, climbing slightly for a short way, and is mostly straight and free of obvious hazards. The date of the village's founding and the etymology of the name are unknown; but archaeological evidence points to a Roman presence and some scholars have suggested the name comes from a combination of the words nava, meaning plain, the Arabic rukun meaning corner and possibly maillo meaning crabapple. There is an attractive square, a pretty church and one or two other buildings of note, but the highlight of the town is the annual Fiesta de los Molinos, the feast of the mills - this takes place on the first or second Sunday in August, however, and so will not coincide with the Vuelta's visit. As the riders pass the town, they reach the 130km ridden point and begin the first of the stage's intermediate sprints, taking in two wide bends.

A few kilometres out of town, the road turns sharply right and into a hairpin to negotiate a wide ravine and then continues north through wide, arid spaces and past a green hill rising to around 250m above the surrounding countryside to the east. It turns north east to pass by Belvis de la Jara. Belvis is believed to be derived from the Latin bellum visum, beautiful view, and it's very obvious why the town should be so-called - the views of the mountains are spectacular and unimpeded by anything on the plains dotted with jara shrubs which have given this region its name. We won't be able to see much other than the church's tower, however, as the road passes 0.2km away to the north before entering a twisty section just beyond, the clips the northern edge of Alcaudete de la Jara as the second intermediate sprint begins after 160km. The N-502 continues north, long straight sections punctuated by non-challenging bends, then suddenly enters a wide expanse of green on the banks of a river north-west of Las Herencias. The landscape here is characterised by the circular irrigated fields which look like giant green vinyl records from the air. To the east is an area of low crags.

Monasterio de San Benito in Talavera de la Reina.

The road becomes straight and enters an industrial area, then comes to a roundabout. Passage about it ought to be simple, but with the presence of industrial units - including what appears to be a shipping container depot which will be visited by many trucks each day - there's a high likelihood of diesel spills: if the weather is dry there should be no problems, if it's wet things may be different. Once over the roundabout, the peloton approaches the Puente Nuevo as it crosses the Rio Tajo at a wide bend where there are several small wooded islands - the ideal place for herons, storks and the various other waterfowl that are regularly seen here. Once over, the race is in Talavera de la Reina. At a roundabout next to a park made ugly by what will thankfully be the last bullring we'll see today the peloton turns a tight left corner onto the Ronda de Canillo, which leads south west to the river and the Av. Real Fabrica de Sedas and - after 187.6km - the end of the stage.

Excavation of Roman remains in Talavera de la Reina.

Neolithic remains have been found in the vicinity of Talavera de la Reina, but it seems not to have been a permanent settlement until the Celts arrived and named the town the established here Talabriga. The Romans called it Caesarobriga, though they faced fierce resistance from the Celtic inhabitants which needed to be quelled before they could begin to make the town their own. They fortified it with defensive walls and added a new bridge, making it an important trading post along one of the main routes connecting southern Spain with the ports along the east coast and, ultimately, Rome; and so it wasn't long before the town grew into a city fully equipped with baths, theatres, villas, temples and all the other civic amenities considered essential to a Roman's existence. The Visigoths took control as soon as the Romans had left and built the first of the Christian churches in the city, including the original church on the site of a temple to Pales and now occupied by the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Prado that was begun in the 16th Century but much enlarged since so that it now combines elements of both Renaissance and Baroque. It is believed that Christian worship was permitted to continue on the site during Moorish rule from 712, the Moors being considerably tolerant towards their Christian subjects than vice-versa when the tables were turned some centuries later.

Moorish walls at Talavera de la Reina.

The Moors improved the city's defensive network, building new walls of which some well-preserved sections remain. They were also developed trade to new heights, making the city wealthier than it had ever been before and added water mills and irrigation projects to make sure the population were well-fed, and renaming it Talavayra. In addition, they facilitated the development of the potteries, trading the wares produced within them far and wide and showing great respect towards their Jewish owners and craftsmen.

Following the Reconquest and return to Christian rule, Talavera was granted the right to host two fairs each year which brought traders from far and wide and ensuring the city's continuation as a trading centre. The fairs are still held today in May and September. By the 15th Century, the potteries had begun to specialise in the production of decorative glazed tiles which can be seen in many churches and cathedrals around Spain. During the middle of the 18th Century, the Royal Silk Mills were established along the stretch of river where the stage ends, now known as the Av. Real Fabrica de Sedas. The potteries rose in importance again during the 19th Century and Talavera became the first Spanish city with a railway station.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Prado seen
from Alameda Park.

The first half of the 20th Century was difficult for all Spain and Talavera didn't escape - in September 1936, the densely populated Puerta de Cuartos neighbourhood was heavily bombed by Franco's airforce, causing many deaths and great damage. It subsequently suffered more bombing raids between July 1937 and March 1938. Following the return to democracy, Talavera has continued to develop its commercial and industrial interests, thus remaining among the wealthiest of Spanish cities and as such offers a quality of life far in advance of that found elsewhere.

It is a city with much to see. In addition to the Basílica, it has a Renaissance city hall painted in bright colours; the 17th Century Baroque Casa-Palacio de la Calle del Sol which features unmistakably medieval pilasters suggesting either recycling of material from elsewhere or, more likely, origins much older than is evident at first glance; the remaining Royal Silk Mills and the recently-completed Puente de Castilla la Mancha, the tallest bridge in Spain with high observation platforms permitting panoramic views across the city and surrounding region. The bridge is so high that workers on different levels noticed peculiar phenomena, such as those at the top of the towers working in falling snow while those working on the foundations worked in rain.

Predictions: We could imagine young Tom Boonen doing a good job on this one - though the stage is without massive changes in altitude, the constant ups and downs make it seem precisely the sort of stage upon which a Paris-Roubaix-hardened Classics specialist such as him can perform in a way that dedicated stage race riders cannot. Let's not forget Cancellara, though: he's the boss of the TT as we all know, but bear in mind he's won Paris-Roubaix twice and has demonstrated excellent form in the race so far.

Weather: Good news for the riders - the extreme heat is gone for today. However, cool weather for August in Spain is still pretty damn hot - we can expect temperatures to range from a low of 25C at the start, fluctuating up and down throughout the stage until reaching 30C at the finish. That's definitely warm, but a lot less so than the previous stages. It looks like we'll have crosswinds all the way, but they'll be gentle enough to not cause problems. Rain is very unlikely throughout the entire parcours.

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Vuelta a España - Stage 6 Preview

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Stage 6 is another plain stage, but as those of you who either read our preview yesterday or are fortunate enough to live somewhere with live television footage will be aware, "plain stage" does not mean "easy" in the language of the Vuelta. Today is no different - while there are none of the mountains that appeared in the "plain" Stage 5, the organisers have gone all out to include as many difficult sections as possible.

Ubeda with snow, showing some of its many historical
treasures. The church in the background is the Sacra
Capilla del Salvador.

Following an overnight transfer, the stage begins in a little park in the centre of Ubeda within sight of the Sacra Capilla del Salvador which, despite the name (capilla means chapel), is a vast 16th Century church larger than many cathedrals and ranked among the finest examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Among Ubeda's 48 other sites declared of national cultural or historic interest are the medieval Casa de las Torres and the Palacio del Deán Ortega. In fact, there is so much to be seen that the city has given rise to a Spanish phrase, andar por los cerros de Úbeda, "to walk around the hills of Ubeda," meaning to go off on a tangent. With so much history and so many historical buildings, it's easy to see how anyone attempting to give a tour would indeed go off on several tangents. We don't yet know the exact route the race will take out of the Ubeda, but the most likely will be via the Calle del Obispo Pobos and the Av. de Cristo Rey leading past the Hospital de Santiago and the bullring, where a fight will hopefully not be in progress so we don't have to have our enjoyment of a beautiful and heroic sport ruined by the sight of an animal being slowly tortured to death.

Baeza

The Av. de Cristo Rey is wide and free of hazards, but leads onto two roundabouts on the western edge of the city, the peloton going straight over both and onto the A-316. Three more roundabouts mark turn-offs into industrial sites before the parcours leaves for a narrower road, then a sweeping left-hand bend turns south and south-west towards the end of the neutral zone just outside Baeza.

Like its neighbour Ubeda, Baeza was declared a World Heritage Site in 2003. We owe the city's beauty not to wise decisions to preserve old buildings in days gone by, but to economic hardship and recession: while the city flourished under Moorish rule and became home to 50,000 (three times the current population, the collapse of the Caliphate and return to Christian rule brought financial disaster and, like many Spanish cities, Baeza entered a long period of decline. This, combined with eventual economic collapse in the 17th Century, meant that new structures were too expensive to build and the population had to make-do-and-mend with what they already had. It must have been horrendously tough at the time, but those long-dead residents would hopefully take some comfort in knowing that their descendants are now beginning to grow wealthy from the tourists attracted by the ancient buildings. It is, nevertheless, fortunate that anything is left - the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 caused widespread damage. Sights include the Palacio de Jabalquinto, the Catedral de la Natividad de Nuestra Señora de Baeza, the former university dating from the 16th Century and the buildings around the Plaza del Pópulo. There was once a vast fortress located on a hill within the town, containing a castle and palaces and said to have been as beautiful as it was impregnable. It was destroyed during the 15th Century on the orders of Queen Isabel to prevent rebellions by local aristocrats and the masonry used in the construction of new buildings; leaving very little to see at ground level today.

Medieval streets, Baeza.

Having reached the end of the tree-lined Av. del Alcalde de Puché Pardo, the peloton turns right into the Avenida de Andalucia and passes a wooded park. There are at least eight raised speed humps along this road, which becomes the A-6101 and heads north-west to Ibros, encountering nothing else likely to present a hazard along the way. Once inside the town, the parcours travels along the Av. Joaquin Padilla which permits little opportunity to see the very few interesting and/or historical structures in the town before embarking on a 9km section leading to the roundabout junction with the N-322 carrying the race past the Estacion Linares-Baeza. Linares is some 2.5km further ahead, where the peloton leaves the road and turns south at a roundabout onto the A-302.

The parcours continues south-west, passing through a lush green area which stands in stark and welcome contrast to the surrounding landscape and the tragically semi-derelict Castillo-Palacio Tobaruela, of which it looks as though nothing will be left within another two decades unless someone fabulously wealthy rock star takes a shine to it and restores the old walls. Though imposing, it's not an especially attractive place and looks too spooky for many. Marilyn Manson, we have a job for you.

The N-323 leads to roundabout next to an industrial estate as the race reaches Mengibar, leading to the possibility of diesel spills which can be both lethal and virtually invisible especially in rain, where the peloton turns right onto the Av. de España which has a wide central reservation lying in wait to catch out any rider who ill-advisably picks this point to look around for team-mates. The Vuelta road book also warns of "steep gullies" here. Five roads lead off from the end, the parcours takes the fourth to pass along the C. Santa Amalia which leads straight on to the Carretera Espelliy and Carretera Espeluy, then the JA-3413 leading away from the town.

Iberian bronze, discovered at Mengibar.

Though Mengibar is today home to a little under 10,000 people, there is historical and archaeological evidence supporting the current theory that the great city of Iliturgi once stood here before it was razed to the ground and the population slaughtered by the Romans due to their constant trouble-making and refusal to pay taxes. Unfortunately, looters long ago discovered that valuable artifacts could be had by carrying out unauthorised treasure hunts in the vicinity, meaning there is precious little left for archaeologists to study and prove or disprove the theory once and for all. The JA-3413 is untechnical and soon leads to Cazalilla, 51km from the start line. The peloton enter town along the long Av. de Andalucia, taking a sharp left onto the C. Poeta Abendarrach, then an equally tricky left onto the C. Anch before reaching the Av. de la Constitución, then left again to travel along the Ctra. de Espluy through the centre of town. At the end, a narrow passage to access the C. de las Cuevas will pack a lot of riders into a small space, creating a hazard for those unwilling to fall back and wait. The JA-3410 takes us north-west away from the town and, after 3.5km, across a bridge into Villanueva de la Reina.

Villanueva de la Reina

Villanueva has a beautiful location, situated on the fertile lowland banks of the Guadalquivir river, and has been a stop-off point for travellers ever since the Romans first built a town here. Whilst it may lack the grand buildings seen elsewhere along this stage, there is much to appreciate and the town centre streets are wide and well-kept. Seven raised speed humps carry the peloton south of the centre and onto the JA-3409 as it heads west, back into the countryside. Some way on, having turned south-west, the road enters a twisty section which may prove dusty and slippery. 8km from Villanueva is Lahiguera, where a left hand corner as soon as the peloton enters the town takes the riders south to the C. de la Cruz del Pozuelo which has several speed bumps and a tight left onto the JA-3404 heading south. The road crosses one narrow bridge and features one sweeping hairpin rising through 30m, but it otherwise free of likely hazards until reaching Arjona, a town known as Urgavo to the Romans. It was an important place under their rule, as is made evident by the archaeological traces of large structures - possibly temples - found within the town. Under Moorish rule it became Arjuna Qal'at, which was gradually modified to the present form after the fall of the Caliphate.

The road narrows considerably as it becomes the C. del Matadero, then turns right onto the C. Pozo del Llano and C. del Tejar before a bend onto the C. Alcantarilla and C. Cañuelo. A sweeping bend leads to the C. Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente and right onto the A-321shortly before it becomes the A-305. After 2km, the parcours comes to a fork where the peloton will take the left path onto the A-6176 to reach Arjonilla, 77.4km from the start. The C. de Arjona into town is technical with a lot of street furniture and raised humps but should allow glimpses of the castle before the C. de los Molinos and C. Doctor Garcia Mazuelo carry the riders into the centre of town. A sharp left corner then takes them south along the JA-4401 and out of town.

"Olives,olives,olives.bilions of bilions. Today we gona ride almost the hole stage true the trees yards." (Fabian Cancellara, Twitter)

After some kilometres, the JA-4401 reaches the JA-5400 just south of Santiago. The parcours turns right on the potentially dusty junction before heading west towards Lopera, located 94.6km from the start. Lopera's castle is extremely well-preserved and looks precisely how a medieval castle is supposed to look, with high walls and enough turrets and battlements to keep even the most imaginative of Gothic novel-writers happy for years. There are far more modern defensive structures in the town, too - it became on of the most important sites along the Andalusian Front during the Civil War and saw one of the most important battles, leaving many gun emplacements, shelters and other features in the town and surrounding countryside. However, we shan't see much of it today because the peloton turn south onto the A-6175 almost as soon as the enter the town. Just north of Porcuna, the riders turn right onto the A-306 and head towards Cañete de las Torres.

The road passes over a bridge, but as this is a main arterial route it should be as wide as the road and create no problems, though cross-winds could be high if conditions are right. On the outskirts, the peloton turns left into Cañete de las Torres along the C. Federico Lorca which joins the C. Menendez Pidal. A left corner takes them to the Av. de Jaén, then the C. Antonio Mauro, C.del Molino and C. de la Glorieta - a route taking us around many of the medieval streets - lead back to the A-306 heading for Bujalance.

Bujalance

Bujalance's peculiar name derives from the Arabic Bury al-Hans, which became Burialhanç and went through  Burialhançe, Buxalançe, Buxalanze and Buxalance during the post-Moorish era before finally settling on its modern form. However, there has been a settlement here since at least Iberian times - a sculpture known as the Iberian Lion of Bujalance dating the the 5th Century BCE was found here; the fertile location attracting representatives of every ethnic group to have made Andalusia their home. It appears that the shift to Moorish rule was relatively peaceful with the existing population seemingly not too concerned about their new lords nor their religion and, as was the case in many parts of the country, they benefited greatly from it for the town soon acquired a castle - still standing but not in a very good state of repair and crowded on all sides by ugly modern buildings - and several markets. It also gained a fine mosque, but it has long since vanished - Ferdinand III, having conquered the town and returned it to Christian rule in 1227, ordered the mosque to be "purified" (a term very much reflecting the odious religious intolerance of the times) and converted into a church. The site is now occupied by the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, famous for its remarkable Gothic altarpiece and leaning tower. Following difficult times marked by riots and plague, the 17th Century brought prosperity to Bujalance when it became a centre of cloth-making and there are many impressive buildings dating from this period. In 1630, it was granted city status. The industry lasted into the 20th Century, when the factories' large workforce placed the town firmly on the side of the leftists in the Civil War so that the city soon became one of the centres of the anti-fascist struggle; Madrid's La Estampa newspaper called it the Mecca of anarchism.

Villafranca de Cordoba's surprisingly
modern-looking convent.

The ringroad leads to a roundabout where the peloton turn right and rejoin the A-306 leading north-west, becoming the N-IV at El Carpio - unfortunately, we'll see little of this town and its solidly imposing Torre de Garci Méndez as the parcours skirts around the eastern and northern edges before it joins the A-421 and crosses a narrow bowstring arch bridge over the Guadalquivir and enters Villafranca de Cordoba 142.7km from the start. Very unusually for this part of the world, Villafranca doesn't have a castle - it appears to have enjoyed a relatively peaceful existence and has never really needed one, having been a fairly unimportant place until the last century when it became home to a number of kitchen furniture manufacturers and as such began trading with cities around the world. The peloton soon reaches a small roundabout with a little rock garden, where they turn left and then left again onto the CO-3103 and begin the first intermediate sprint of the stage. This should be straightforward as the road is untechnical and without potential hazards other than a slightly narrowed section where it crosses a bridge over a stream, so it's probably a safe bet to say that any breakaway group to have formed earlier in the day will get the points here.

After 151km, the road sweeps around a right bend before passing under the motorway and then turns sharply left onto a narrow bridge. This combination of high-speed bend, technical corner, constriction and possible slippery road surface due to the surrounding trees makes this seem the most likely spot for crashes on the stage as the peloton will need to sharply reduce speed and form some sort of order to get across, since the bridge looks able to take no more than three or four abreast - and even that would be pushing things. Once off the bridge, another tight left takes them back onto the road, back under the motorway and onward. North-east of the narrow bridge is an enormous dam, holding back the Embalse San Rafael de Navallana lake which, though located at an altitude of around 150m, has a distinctly Haute-Alpine look. The road then follows the Guadalquivir for a short stretch, passing south of a large mansion, then joins with the N-IVa heading west into Cordoba.

Cordoba, "the jewel of the world": inside the cathedral

Following a series of junctions, the route turns right onto the Av. de Carlos III, which is long and straight and has tended to attract large crowds whenever the Vuelta has passed this way before. A roundabout marks the end, where the peloton turns left before rounding a fountain and passing onto the Av de al-Nasir where the second intermediate sprint begins. Once done, the riders turn right onto the Av. del Brillante and right again onto the Av. del Calasancio which joins the Av. de San José de Calasanz after a short while. The route leaves the city and heads out into the countryside on the CO-3408. The land is arid for a while, but the peloton soon starts climbing into a greener area, ascending almost 300m between Cordoba and the junction with the CO-3404 which climbs higher, topping out at 580m after a Cat 2 climb which, in the steepest section, has a gradient of 14%.

Medina Azahara

The parcours passes through more forested areas, climbing and descending, before reaching the CO-3402. The descent from here is fast and twisty with many hairpins - there were once many more, but one especially snaky section has been replaced with a sweeping curve.

This route carries the race just east of Medina Azahara, one of the most astounding archaeological sites in Europe and the entire world. Once a city of palaces, work began here in the 10th Century to build the ultimate expression of the Caliphate's power, wealth and superiority over its enemies - which has led to a common modern description, "the Versailles of the Middle Ages." However, anybody with even the most rudimentary of imaginations cannot doubt that, at its height, this place easily surpassed Versailles. That height was a very short period of time - having been equipped with fortifications, palacial residences, mosques, bathhouses and aqueducts to bring water for the inhabitants, gardens and fountains, it was looted and suffered much damage in a civil war in 1010, less than a hundred years after building began, and was then subsequently abandoned to fall into ruin for nine centuries until attempts to study and preserve it began in 1910. In the following century, only around 12% of the entire site has been excavated but this already includes two palaces, two mansions, guard houses, administrative buildings, gardens and a vast reception hall.

Once the CO-3402 flattens out and once again travels through arid landscapes, it's not long before the peloton reach a roundabout on the outskirts of Cordoba. They turn left here, soon coming to another roundabout which they cross to join the Av. de la Azufarrilla (Azufarilla in the Vuelta details, Arruzafilla on maps). This leads over a roundabout with a spectacular fountain - best seen at night, when it's lit by coloured lights, and don't miss the small section of Roman aqueduct just before the roundabout - before turning right to join the Av. del Brillante leading south to the Av de al-Nasir where, after 196.8km, the stage comes to an end.

Cordoba at night

Cordoba has a population today of around 328,000 - less than a third of its population a thousand years ago when, according to some estimates (with archaeological evidence), it was home to a million people; roughly 1/265th of all the human beings then alive, making it the most populous city in the world and the European centre of science, literature, finance, art and philosophy (thanks almost entirely to its Moorish Caliphate rulers, one of whom granted the city the world's largest public library with between 400,000 and a million books , part of the same Islamic culture that certain people like to try to claim have contributed nothing to the world - although since Arabs were the first to come up with the mathematical concept of zero, there's some ironic truth to that)*. In the 12th Century, it was the home of Maimonides, perhaps the most important of all rabbis, whose Mishneh Torah remains the most valuable guide to the interpretation of Torah to this day and is a vital part of the daily study carried out by almost all observant Jewish people worldwide. The Renaissance, when cities throughout Europe began to grow, had a strangely opposite effect on Cordoba; by the 18th Century the population had fallen to under 20,000, not recovering until the 20th.

The Roman Bridge and the Mosque-Cathedral, Cordoba.

As would be expected, Cordoba offers far more to see than we can list here. However, among its many jewels are the numerous Roman remains including a near-perfectly preserved mausoleum in the Jardines de la Victoria, the 14th Century synagogue that was restored and reopened in 1985 to commorate the 850th anniversary of Maimondies' birth, the Torre de la Calahorra fortified gatehouse, the ancient watermills on the Guadalquivir river, the many palaces, the Mosque-Cathedral which began life as a pagan temple and the Roman bridge. It is not a place than can be seen in a day.

* Estimates range from 500,000 to a million - assume somewhere roughly halfway between is probably reasonably accurate.


Predictions: Could today be Bradley's day? We think it could. However, if he wants it he's going to have to beat Sylvain Chavanel; because this is the ideal stage for breakaway specialist Mimosa


Weather: Moderate headwinds all the way today and hot, too - so it's lucky the riders have the Jewel of the World to look forward to, otherwise they probably wouldn't bother. We can expect 31C at the start, rising to 33C by 20km and up until 140km when it could be a degree warmer. It'll drop three degrees or so at the top of the Cat 2 climb before Cordoba, then rise to 34C again in the city.

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