La Vuelta 2019
- Tour of Spain
La Vuelta SPAIN |Sept 7–17 2018
2019 La Vuelta Espana – Tour of Spain Topbike Itinerary will be available soon!
This was our 2018 La Vuelta Itinerary…
The 2018 La Vuelta Espana (Tour of Spain) race route has been announced and while it’s not high on the priority list of many riders at this time of the season, by the time it starts, it can often produce the best racing of the year.
Out, and back, from Madrid we’ll chase this enigmatic grand tour for the final ten days. First up to Asturias, through Cantabria and the Basque region, over to Andorra, before returning for the grand finale in downtown Madrid. You’ll love the northern coast of Spain, the Basque region, the Pyrenees and Andorra, not to mention the seafood, wine, coffee and tapas.
Following the final 10 stages of the 73rd Edition of the Vuelta a Espana, finishing with an exciting stage finish in Madrid, Spain.
This is a fantastic event, where you can really get in touch with these world class riders. We ride most mornings, encompassing parts of the stages the riders will be competing on. We get to see the riders signing on, race starts, sprints, climbs and finishes.
We’ll pick up in Madrid, spend three nights in the centre of a small town (Arriondas) close to the Asturian coast. Leaving there we’ll have a one night stopover in a coastal town, San Vicente de la Barquera, two Basque nights in Muxika and two nights close to Andorra la Vella.
Our last nights are, of course, in Madrid where we’ll finish with a degustation menu, tapas style, in a famous old bar.
Tour Price: $6890(AUD) per person
[Places are limited to 13 clients in total (with 3 staff).]
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Destination
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Pick Up
TBC: Hotel Medium Cortezo, Doctor Cortezo 3, 28012 - Madrid -
Drop Off
TBC: Hotel Medium Cortezo, Doctor Cortezo 3, 28012 - Madrid -
Cycling Fitness/Experience
Any + E-Bikes Available
1
Friday September 7:
Stage 13 | Candas Carreño → Valle de Sabero La Camperona 176km Mountain Finish
This was our 2018 Itinerary...
After pick up in central Madrid, we’ll be transferring in the Topbike air conditioned mini-bus up to Cistierna, in Spain’s northern Asturias region (380k, 4h). Here we’ll be close to the finish of today’s stage, where we’ll see the riders as they head towards the final climb. This will be the second of six hilltop finish’s in this year’s Vuelta. Post race we’ll continue on towards Arriondas, near the coast, where we’ll bed down for three nights.2
Saturday September 8:
Stage 14 | Cistierna → Les Praeres. Nava 167km, mountain finish
Today we’ll get bikes sorted and head off towards another hilltop finish (there’s three in a row this weekend). It’s just 40k over to Les Praeres, which gives us a good warm up before we hit the final climb. Here we can join the course a few hours ahead of the pro-peloton and take up a place towards the finish line to watch the riders arrive. Once the race is over you can choose to ride home, almost a downhill run. Or take a lift with the Topbike vans, placed not far from the bottom of the climb. The choice is yours.
3
Sunday September 9:
Stage 15 | Ribera de Arriba → Lagos de Covadonga, 186 km, mountain finish
A different format today, as the race comes to us. It’ll pass through late afternoon, however, so before it arrives, we have time to get out and ride an 80k loop that takes us past the coast, and over a range, to the bottom of today’s final climb. Here we can choose to continue up the hill, or return to our hotel, on the race route. Once back in town, we can freshen up, and take a seat in a nearby bar, watch the race on the tele, before stepping outside to cheer the peloton on their way.
4
Monday September 10: "REST DAY"
Today we’ll make the most of the La Vuelta’s rest day, quietly making our own route eastwards, by the coast. It’s a scenic route, used in many Vueltas, not to mention the many pilgrims headed along the Camino de Santiago, which we will cross paths with, many times today. Our destination is an historic coastal town, not far from tomorrow’s time trial start.
5
Tuesday September 11:
Stage 16 | Santillana del Mar → Torrelavega (ITT) 32.7 km
It’s race day again, an individual time trial. We’ll ride out of San Vicente, towards the stage start town of Santillana del Mar. Our ride can be direct 26k, or circuitous 70k, it’s really up to how ‘our’ peloton is feeling on the day. Once in Santillana we’ll watch the teams arrive, by bike, car and bus. We’ll get to see the riders sign-on, their warm ups, and catch a close up view of what it takes to get the complete ITT show on the road. Once most of the show is on the road, we’ll get our own show moving, and make our way into the Basque country. Ensuring we get to watch as much as the ITT as possible.
6
Wednesday September 12:
Stage 17 | Getxo → Balcón de Bizkaia 166 km, mountain finish
A unique experience today, we can have a crack at riding a full stage, or parts of it. We are located in the stage start town of Getxo, just north of Bilbao, and as the course winds around, looping circuitously, we can use it to our advantage. We can ride the complete stage, or short cut parts and ride as much, or as little, as we want. Ultimately the (not so high hilltop) finish line is only 45k from where we start. Perfect! We can chose to watch the pros finish, or pass us roadside, in a feedzone or sprint point. Back to our 4 star digs in Getxo tonight.
7
Thursday September 13
Stage 18 | Ejea de los Caballeros → Lleida, 181 km
After a morning ride we’re on the move again – remember, it is a ‘Tour’ of Spain. Next stop Andorra, or close to it. Along the route we’ll spectate the sprinters stage that features today, it’s the last one before Sunday’s finish in Madrid. We’ll either picnic roadside, maybe near the feedzone, or even visit the finish. Post race we’ll continue on to our 4 star hotel in La Seu d’Urgell, just south of the border of Andorra la Vella.
8
Friday September 14
Stage 19 | Lleida → Andorra, Naturlandia 157 km
The La Vuelta organisers love to add a little interest to their race, and today the stage finishes on a mountain top in Andorra. We’re located in a small town that is on the race route, just 31k from the finish. We can have a crack at riding the final climb, and while it’s uphill all the way, it really kicks up at 17k to go. From our hotel you climb over 1500 metres in vertical height, and top out at just over 2000 metres. It’ll make for a good ride home!
9
Saturday September 15
Stage 20 | Andorra, Escaldes-Engordany → Coll de la Gallina, Santuario de Canolich
Today we’re off to Madrid, but not before we’ve ridden today’s final climb. Doing a 52k loop we can get up, around and over the final pass of this year’s Vuelta. Rolling home, we’ll freshen up before we pack up and make our final transport, south to Madrid (590k, 6.5h). En route we’ll ensure we keep up to date with the race, stopping to catch the final climb on a tele, in a roadside bar.
10
Sunday September 16
Stage 21 | Alcorcón → Madrid, 112 km
We’ll be up early for a ride around Madrid, just to get our bearings, and have a look around before the locals get active. We won’t have to be super early, the sun won’t rise until 8… So we can spend a little time, maybe take a coffee in Plaza Mayor, maybe even a typical Spanish donut dipped in chocolate. We’ll have breakfast back in the hotel, and still have time for a little sight-seeing before the race arrives in downtown Madrid. There is also the unique possibility to see the stage start AND finish. The stage start is not far away, just 18k from our hotel, so we could also ride out there, before returning to watch the stage finish in the CBD. Back in town we’ll get to see the final laps of La Vuelta, as they finish with multiple laps of a street circuit. Here the sprinters have one last time to shine, on the final grand tour stage of the year. Dinner tonight in a famous old tapas bar, walking distance from our hotel.
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Monday September 17
TOUR FINISH | Madrid Hotel Cortezo, 10.00 am
After breakfast, packing up bikes and luggage, we’ll be on the road. Unless other plans are made, our final farewells are at our hotel. Adios amigos!
If we do everything planned, there'll have been: 8 Days of race viewing, incorporating 2 stage starts, 2 hilltop stage finishes, 1 feedzone and 3 roadside views. We'll also have ridden about 7-800k, and climbed many mountains.
NB: The itinerary above is to be used as a guide only, as Topbike Tours are well known for making use of all (and creating some extra) opportunities, expect that variations from the above can happen at any time. Please note all distances are approximate and subject to change.
Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) with Topbike Tours
73rd Vuelta a Espana:
