A former local mayor has proposed to Javier Guillén two gravel variants for Spain's most feared climb. The organizers are willing to consider them, but only if they benefit both the spectacle and safety.
The Vuelta a España 's toughest climb could get even more challenging. According to Eurosport , a gravel section could be added to the Alto de l'Angliru in the future .
The idea was launched by José Antonio Muñiz , former mayor of Riosa, the municipality hosting the climb. The proposal was presented to race director Javier Guillén , who promised to evaluate it. Muñiz reportedly outlined two options for including a dirt road along the 12.4 km (7.7 mi) Angliru climb, with an average gradient of 9.7%.
The local newspaper La Nueva España described them as follows: "One option for including some gravel sections in the climb to Angliru would be to start from the village of Muriellos along a track of about 4 km, alternating between concrete and dirt, until it rejoins the Llagos curve with the traditional climb from Viapará."
And again: "The other option would involve taking the road from Ablaneo to El Cabornín and then climbing along a track that would also connect to the Llagos curve, before the Cueña les Cabres. Both options combine gravel and concrete in the steepest sections and would make the legendary Angliru climb even tougher, although they would shorten some of the current 12 km from La Vega to Angliru."
How would the climb change? The first 5 km of the climb would be dirt, before the slight slope of Viapará. Then the riders would return to the usual road for the final 6 km, the decisive one, with double-digit gradients. The famous Cueña les Cabres is also there, with gradients of up to 23% in some places.
Guillén didn't close the door, but he did set some limits: "The Angliru climb borders on the extremely difficult, with large crowds of spectators. We are open to studying its feasibility as long as it increases the interest and spectacle of the stage without overloading the riders or compromising safety. We listen to all ideas, even if only some can be implemented." These words came during a ceremony on the climb, where the Vuelta Femenina received a gold award from the Association of Friends of Angliru, led by Muñiz himself.
The race director, in the past, wasn't a big fan of gravel. Then came the gravel section on the final climb of stage 6 of this year's men's Vuelta, and it was a success. On that occasion, Enric Mas , the eventual winner, held off an attack from Tadej Pogačar . Guillén admitted that gravel will have a place in future editions as well.
Angliru already boasts a significant track record. It has been tackled 10 times in the men's race, with summit victories by José María Jiménez , Roberto Heras , Alberto Contador (twice), and Primož Roglič . It also made its debut this year in the Vuelta Femenina : Petra Stiasny won the stage solo and Paula Blasi took the general classification.
Sports journalist and cycling enthusiast, following professional cycling for over 10 years. Collaborates with FantaCycling to bring you the best analysis and news from the world of cycling.
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A former local mayor has proposed to Javier Guillén two gravel variants for Spain's most feared climb. The organizers are willing to consider them, but only if they benefit both the spectacle and safety.
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