Vuelta a Espana 2023 | Stage 3 | Monday, 28 August | Suria - Arinsal, Andorra | 158.5 kilometres
The third stage of the Vuelta a Espana 2023 will be the first real endurance test for the riders. It covers 158.5 kilometres and takes the peloton from Suria in the province of Barcelona to the Andorran town of Arinsal in the Pyrenees. It is the first mountain stage of the Tour of Spain for the peloton.
The starting point in Suria is 325 metres above sea level - from there, the peloton will ride almost exclusively uphill for 137 kilometres, where the Coll d'Ordino, a 1st category climb, awaits. Before the steep climb to the mountain classification, there is an intermediate sprint after 116.7 kilometres. After the Coll d'Ordino, the pros first ride downhill before reaching the mountain finish in Arinsal with a 1st category climb.
The last 8.3 kilometres of the race up to the finish in Arinsal are 7.7 per cent steep on average, with a maximum gradient of 14 per cent. The Coll d'Ordino, which also has an average gradient of 7.7 per cent but is 14.3 kilometres long, is also likely to be a test for some riders. Only riders who are really fit for the mountains can therefore expect to win the third stage of the Vuelta.
Sporting assessment of the 3rd stage
For the contenders in the overall classification, this stage could be the first water mark. The top favourites are therefore likely to exchange blows and could also decide the stage in their favour. Possible favourites would therefore be Tour de France winners Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) or last year's Vuelta winner Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick Step). Even stage chasers with a strong mountain pedigree could break away from the peloton. Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious) won the 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia as a lone rider. The Colombian will also line up at the start of the Tour of Spain and could be a dangerous breakaway rider.
Schedule, TV coverage & live stream of stage 3 of the Vuelta a Espana 2023
The field of riders will set off at 13:15, the sharp start will then take place at around 13:27. The calculated finish in the Andorran town of Arinsal should be between 17:18 and 17:44 at an average speed of around 39 kilometres per hour.
Eurosport will broadcast all stages of the Vuelta a Espana 2023. Stage 3 will be shown free-to-air on Eurosport 1 from 14:30. Including post-stage coverage, the broadcast will run until 18:00. The paid providers GCN+ and Discovery+ will also be showing a live stream on the internet.
Vuelta a Espana 2023 - Stage 3: The most important information at a glance
- Mountain stage over 158.5 kilometres
- Start of the stage: 13:15
- Calculated end of the race: approx. 17:30
- TV broadcast: 14:30 - 18:00 Eurosport 1
