La Vuelta Femenina 2024: This is the route of the Tour of Spain for women
Sebastian Lindner
· 08.03.2024
La Vuelta Femenina 2024: The most important facts in brief
- Date: 28 April - 5 May 2024
- Distance~ 870 kilometres, 8 stages
- Start: Valencia, Goal: Valdesqui
- Profile: three mountain finishes, two hilly stages, two flat stages, one team time trial
- UCI category: Women's World Tour
- Premiere: 2023, 2nd edition
The Spanish are continuing to fine-tune the Vuelta Femenina. On International Women's Day, organiser Unipublic, a subsidiary of Tour de France organiser A.S.O., presented eight stages for the event from 28 April to 5 May 2024, one more than last year. Unipublic itself is talking about the second edition of the race, but its roots lie in a one-day race that was also held in Madrid on the final day of the men's Vuelta in 2015. It developed into the Ceratizit Challenge, which comprised five stages in 2022.
In addition to the route, the organisers also presented the 21 participating teams. Only 13 of the 15 World Teams will be taking part, with the German team Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling and Uno-X Mobility opting not to start in Spain, leaving eight Continental teams to fill out the list.
Women's Vuelta 2024: The route - all stages at a glance
Eight stages, including three mountain finishes, around 870 kilometres, from the Mediterranean to the Pyrenees and then back towards Madrid - these are the key figures for this year's Tour of Spain for women. It's the toughest so far, no matter how you count it.
Stage 1 | 28 April 2024 | Valencia - Valencia | 16 kilometres (team time trial)
The Vuelta Femenina begins with a team time trial, as it always has since 2022. Once again, the tour starts on the Mediterranean coast. However, Valencia is a little further north than Torrevieja last year. At 16 kilometres, it is slightly longer than last year, but just as flat. The classification will be sorted for the first time, which also gives the SD Worx - Protime team the chance to ride with top favourite Demi Vollering in the overall leader's red jersey from the first to the last day.
Stage 2 | 29 April 2024 | Bunol - Moncofar | 118 kilometres
The 2nd stage starts slightly inland from Valencia in Bunol, which the organisers officially classify as hilly, but the Puerto de L'Oronet is the only climb of the day that is only a 3rd category climb. Even though the climb is on the last third of the route to Moncofar, the sprinters should have a chance here if they don't let the breakaway go too far.
Stage 3 | 30 April 2024 | Lucena - Teruel | 131 kilometres
A few kilometres north of the previous day, stage 3 of the 2024 Women's Vuelta begins in Lucena. It leads the peloton to Teruel in the hilly interior of the country. With the Alto Fuente de Rubielos, which the men also crossed in their 2023 Tour of Spain, only one categorised climb awaits on this day (3rd category), but the profile is still significantly different and more difficult. Apart from a descent shortly after the start of the race and the last 15 kilometres or so before the finish, there is hardly any downhill, but always in the opposite direction. If you ride hard enough, you can also make up the classification here. A large group that reaches the finish together is the most likely scenario for the day.
Stage 4 | 1 May 2024 | Molina de Aragon - Zaragoza | 142 kilometres
There are 900 metres of altitude between the start of stage 4 in Molina de Aragon and the finish in Zaragoza. The route heads straight north-west, mostly downhill. There is no mountain classification, but there are a few climbs. But these should not pose a problem for anyone. Unlike the wind, which could potentially spoil the finale for sprinters on the longest stage of 142 kilometres. In the Moncayo Nature Park, which is slightly higher than its surroundings, wind squalls can turn everything upside down. With around 80 kilometres to go, there is then a chance that the gaps will become clear - or that everything will converge again.
Stage 5 | 2 May 2024 | Huesca - Jaca | 113 kilometres
The Alto del Fuerte Rapitan in Jaca is the first mountain finish on the programme for the fifth stage. This is the first time the riders will be heading into the Pyrenees. From Huesca, the route initially climbs slightly to Loarre, where the profile drops again. Then it's a long run-up to the Alto del Monasterio de San Juan de la Pena. The climb is just as long as the name of the mountain. A full 18 kilometres of climbing before the 2nd category climb is mastered. However, there are no steep ramps. The final climb of this 113-kilometre stage is the exact opposite. Only 3400 metres long, but with an average gradient of eight per cent. Only the legs speak here.
Stage 6 | 3 May 2024 | Tarazona - La Laguna Negra Vinuesa | 132 kilometres
After reaching the northernmost point of the tour in Jaca, the route heads back south. From Tarazona, just west of Zaragoza, the mountain lake Laguna Negra is targeted. Almost a classic in the Vuelta programme. After the first 30 kilometres of the day are almost exclusively uphill, the next 80 kilometres or so are flat again. Then another mountain arrival awaits for the finale, the route up to the lake is the first category 1 climb of the tour. Only the strongest climbers win here.
Stage 7 | 4 May 2024 |San Esteban de Gormaz - Sigüenza | 126 kilometres
Madrid is getting closer. San Esteban de Gormaz is the starting point of the penultimate stage, which actually offers no difficulties at all - apart from the last 500 metres in Sigüenza. The final climb there is between eight and ten per cent. All those fighting for the day's victory must not only be wide awake here, but also fit and lively. It could be too difficult for some sprinters. And if things are tight in the overall standings, there is also the chance to gain or lose a second or two here.
Stage 8 | 5 May 2024 | Madrid - Valdesqui | 89 kilometres
For Madrid to play any role at all during the 2024 Tour of Spain, it has to be the starting point for the final stage. That's because the organisers have asked for another really tough challenge for the grand finale.
Although the day is only 89 kilometres long, the destination is in the Valdesqui ski resort. To get there, you have to cross two passes. The first is the Puerto de La Morcuera, after which the descent leads directly back up to the Puerto de Cotos. The last three kilometres to the finish are on a plateau. It is quite possible that this section can already be used to straighten the jersey and wave to the crowd, as the route before that is extremely selective, meaning that hardly any riders will reach the finish together.
