Stage 6 | Thursday, 31 August | La Vall d'Uixo - Pico del Buitre | 183.1 kilometres
After two days for the sprinters, the Vuelta a Espana 2023 is now back for the climbers. Close to the previous day's finish, the route leads from the Vall d'Uixo up to the Observatorio Astrofisico de Javalambre on the Pico del Buitre. The riders then leave the coast again and head more inland.
83 kilometres after the start, the peloton already has two category 3 climbs in its legs and has already covered 800 metres in altitude. The following 90 kilometres are hilly, but manageable for all types of riders. After 161.6 kilometres, there is an intermediate sprint classification before the long climb up to the Observatorio Astrofisico de Javalambre - a 1st category climb - follows around 11 kilometres before the finish. The finish line is located there at an altitude of almost 2000 metres.
The final climb up to the Pico del Buitre is a tough one: the almost 11-kilometre-long climb has an average gradient of 8 per cent and sections with a maximum gradient of 16 per cent. The last four kilometres in particular are extremely steep. The section has an average gradient of around 10 per cent, and there are always very steep smaller sections of 12 to 15 per cent.
Sporting assessment of the 6th stage
The race is likely to be decided on the final climb. By then, a fast breakaway group could have broken away and sensed their chance. However, it should be possible for the peloton to control the day's leading group until the final climb. On the last climb, the group of favourites for the overall classification is likely to see some movement. The Jumbo-Visma-Driver Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic therefore have a good chance of winning the day here, even Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick Step) or Enric Mas (Movistar) could take a chance in the final.
Schedule, TV coverage & live stream of stage 6 of the Vuelta a Espana 2023
The peloton will set off at 12:20, with the sharp start at around 12:43 in Vall d'Uixo, which is the starting point of a Vuelta stage for the first time. The calculated finish on the Pico del Buitre should be between 17:15 and 17:47 at an average speed of around 37 km/h.
Eurosport will broadcast all stages of the Vuelta a Espana 2023. Stage 6 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 6: The most important information at a glance
- Hilly stage over 183.1 kilometres
- Start of the stage: 12:20 pm
- Calculated end of the race: approx. 17:30
- TV broadcast: 14:30 - 18:00 Eurosport 1
