La Vuelta 2020
- Tour of Spain
La Vuelta SPAIN | Aug 27 - Sept 6–16 2020
Bilbao to Madrid
The 75th edition of the Vuelta a España takes place between 14 August and 6 September 2020, with the peloton setting out from The Netherlands and the race ending in Madrid.
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In 2020 Topbike will be going to La Vuelta Espana.
Bilbao to Madrid | August 27 – September 6, 2020
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Our focus will be on eating, drinking and riding, along with catching four stages of the race before breaking away from the race, and doing our own rides.
We’ll start with riding parts of two different stages, including the final 50k of a flat sprinters stage, before heading to Angliru to watch the pro’s tackle the steepest climb in Europe.
From Bilbao to Cantabria to Asturias, we’ll ride, eat and sleep in a wide variety of beautiful places, including two Michelin starred Restaurants (a one and a two star). Finishing with the grand finale in downtown Madrid.
You’ll love the northern coast of Spain and the Basque region, not to mention the seafood, wine, coffee, tapas, et al.
2020 Tour Dates
SPANISH CLIMBS With MADRID Finish | Aug 27 - Sept 6 2020
We’ll pick up in Bilbao and move west for a two-night stopover in a coastal town, San Vicente de la Barquera (Cantabria). From there it’s two nights in a hotel deep in the Asturian mountains, two nights in an old seaside port of Cudillero, before spending three nights in the centre of a small town (Arriondas) close to the Asturian coast.
Our final night is in central Madrid, where we’ll finish with a Madrillian feast
Tour Price: $6990(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
10.00am, THURSDAY AUG 27 2020: Hotel Embarcadero, Avenida Zugazarte, 51, Las Arenas - Getxo -
Drop Off
10.00am, SUNDAY SEPT 6 2020: Hotel Medium Cortezo, Doctor Cortezo 3, Madrid -
Cycling Fitness/Experience
Any + E-Bikes Available
1
Day 1 | Thursday 27 August 2020:
Stage 12: Castrillo del Val → Aguilar del Campo, 163.6km
After pick up in Bilbao, we’ll ride out of town along the course of 2019’s stage 13, to the town of Arredondo. Here we can enjoy a picnic, and discuss whether we do some of the surrounding climbs, used in last year’s stage, or head off to our destination town of San Vicente de la Barquera
2
Day 2 | Friday 28 August 2020:
Stage 13 | Castro Urdiales → Suances, 187.4km
Today we can have a crack at riding the final kilometres of today’s stage, well in front of the riders. It’s a biggie, at 188k, but as the highest point on the course is just over 270 metres, it is considered flat, and therefore a ‘sprinters’ stage. Our hotel is just 10k from the course, so with a 100k loop, we can ride about 75k along the race course, plenty of options available to shorten this too. Post race we’ll return to our small coastal town.
3
Day 3 | Saturday 29 August 2020:
Stage 14 | Villaviciosa → Alto de la Farrapona, 170.2km
We’ll transport out of our hotel, and head for somewhere close to the midway point on today’s course, possibly ‘San Pedro de Villoria’ or ‘Bustiello’. From here we’ll saddle up, and follow the course signs to San Martin de Teverga/Puerto di San Lorenzo, where we’ll stop for a picnic, and watch the rider pass us by. We’ll finish off the day in a local bar, by the tele, watching the riders suffer on the final climb to their hilltop finish.
Our accommodation for tonight is just outside of San Martin. Here we’re in the Asturian mountains, in the heart of a national park – Parque Natural de Somiedo
4
Day 4 | Sunday, 30 August 2020:
Stage 15 | Pola de Laviana → Alto del Angliru, 109.2km
Angliru today, or whatever parts of it we get to. The base of Angliru is approx. 60k from our hotel. We can choose to ride there, for a warm up (NB that is a BIG warm up!) or transport to the base of the Angliru, a far more recommended approach, for what is considered the toughest climb in European cycling. It’ll be 4pm before any of the pro’s arrive at the base, so we have plenty of time to find ourselves the best possies for viewing the riders as they again suffer, up the extreme grades of yet another hilltop finish.
Post race we’ll return to our digs in the Topbike Van.
5
Day 5 | Monday, 31 August 2020:
*La Vuelta Rest Day
It’s a rest day for La Vuelta, and we wave them goodbye, until Madrid, as they transport west, on their way to Portugal.
From our location, just outside San Martin de Teverga, we’ll be riding north, all the way to the coastal harbour town of Cudillero. Commencing with a short downhill, back into town, it’s not long before we’re on the climb ‘Puerto di San Lorenzo’ which peaks at 1350m, the top being just 15k from our start. From San Lorenzo our gentle 70k descent begins to wind its way to the coast. There are some small hills nearer our destination, but as they rise to just 160m, they shouldn’t give us too much grief.
6
Day 6 | Tuesday September 1 2020:
Stage 16 | Muros → Ezaro (ITT), 33.5km
We’ve lined up a couple of coastal loops, where you can ride the first loop of approx 50k, before choosing to either ‘cut & run’ for home and enjoy a full afternoon by the harbour, or continue on and finish the second loop, making it just under 80k in total. The choice is yours.
Today’s flat time trial stage will be available to enjoy live on the tele, in plenty of bars, this afternoon. Dinner once more down in the town centre.
7
Day 7 | Wednesday September 2 2020:
Stage 17 | Lugo → Ourense, 205.8km
Today we’ll ride out of Cudillero, all the way east to our next location, in Arriondas. Along many roads used in many stage of La Vuelta, we’ll start by the coast and finish inland. It’ll be a variety of small climbs, and nothing over 250m, before the final hilltop of 560m, over which we can roll down into Arriondas, just 10k away.
We’ll be staying in a Casona, right in the centre of town, within a stubby’s throw of a Michelin ‘one star’ restaurant, and a short drive from a Michelin ‘two star’ restaurant, both of which are on our dining list here.
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Day 8 | Thursday September 3 2020:
Stage 18 | Mos → Porto, 178km
Today we have time to get out and ride an 85k loop that takes us out to the coast, to enjoy a bit of sea air, before turning inland and returning to our town over the range ‘Picos de Europa and Cantabrian Mountains’. We’ll clear three different peaks, the highest one not exceeding 500 metres. Plenty of ‘cut and run’ options available today, if required. We’ll have a picnic on the road, and once back in town, we can freshen up, and take a seat in a nearby bar, watch the race on the tele.
9
Day 9 | Friday September 4 2020:
Stage 19 | Viseu → Ciudad Rodrigo, 177.7km
Today we ride up to Lagos de Covadonga, which hosted the finish of not only Stage 15 in 2018, but many other stages of La Vuelta over the years. This climb belongs to the Picos de Europa and Cantabrian Mountains, and is surprisingly similar (in specs) to Alpe d’Huez, although situated near the coast, and starting from just above sea level, it does not peak as high. Starting from Soto de Cangas, the Lagos de Covadonga ascent is 16 km long. Over this distance, you climb 1056 metres. The average percentage thus is 7.4 %.
Home early afternoon, to go out for lunch, and watch the bike race in the hotel lounge, or make our way to a local bar.
10
Day 10 | Saturday September 5 2020:
Stage 20 | Sequeros → Alto de la Covatilla, 175.8km
Today we’re off to Madrid, and it’ll be a three-part journey. Starting all aboard the vehicles, we’ll drive up the range of ‘Picos de Europa’ and once up on top of the plains, near the town of Leon, we’ll get riding. The best part of today’s 90k ride being that there is only 300m of vertical. In fact, the whole ride is ‘technically’ downhill, as we start at 900m, and finish at 700m.
A lovely way to finish off our rural riding experience, across the plains of Spain. We’ll rack the bikes near Benevente, enjoy a bar meal, or picnic, and finish the remainder of the journey, into central Madrid, in the comfort of the air conditioned vans.
11
Day 11 | Sunday September 6 2020:
TOUR FINISH | Madrid Hotel Cortezo, 10.00 am
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 a second breakfast back in the hotel, and still have time for a little sight-seeing before the race arrives in downtown Madrid.
The tour officially finishes at 10am, and after that your time is free to do as you wish. Remembering that the final laps of La Vuelta, ie multiple laps of a street circuit, are within walking distance. Here the sprinters have one last time to shine, on the final grand tour stage of the year.
Adios amigos!
If we do everything planned, there'll have been: Four days of race viewing, incorporating 1 stage finish, 1 hilltop view, 1 roadside view and the grand finale in Madrid. We'll also have ridden about 7-900k, and climbed many mountains. If you did the largest option of everything outlined above, you will have completed nearly 900k, with almost 17,000m of climbing.
NB: The full itinerary is not laid out for everyone to complete. Half days, rest days and long lunches should always be included, to maximise your holiday. 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.
Included in your tour is all transport from Bilbao to Madrid for you, your bike and one bag, accommodation, all breakfasts and all dinners. You will also receive a full 5 piece Topbike kit. Also included are your experienced and knowledgeable guides, maps, training tips, coaching (if required) and mechanical back-up for your bike. Please also see our recommended list of things to bring.
Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) with Topbike Tours
75th Vuelta a Espana:
