Stage 9 | Sunday, 3 September | Cartagena - Collado de la Cruz de Caravaca | 184.5 kilometres
The 9th stage of the Vuelta a Espana 2023 takes the riders from Cartagena, located on the east coast of the country, up to the Collado de la Cruz de Caravaca climb. The race includes a sprint classification 15.8 kilometres before the finish, a 1st and a 2nd category mountain classification.
Cartagena is located in the Murcia region and is the start of a Vuelta stage for the third time. After around 48 kilometres, the riders enter the Puerto Casas De Marina La Perdiz, a category 1 climb. Once the top of the mountain is reached after 60 kilometres, the peloton continues up to the intermediate sprint, 15.8 kilometres before the finish, which is hilly but manageable for all types of riders. The last few kilometres up to the Alto de Caravaca de la Cruz are a real challenge.
The final climb is 8.2 kilometres long and has an average gradient of 5.2 per cent. However, there are always extremely steep sections, some of which have a maximum gradient of 20 per cent. The last few metres before the finish line are also steep: the average gradient is over 9 per cent, with a maximum of 16 per cent. As a result, only riders who are really fit for the climb have a chance of winning the stage.
Sporting assessment of the 9th stage
After a demanding 8th stage, things continue to be just as difficult for the riders: Stage 9 is also a mountain stage that can only be won by climbers due to the two complicated climbs. On the first categorised climb, a leading group of the day could break away, which could be difficult to catch due to the many bends and the hilly terrain. On the final climb, the rider with the freshest legs could then break away from this leading group. From a German perspective Lennard Kämna from the team Bora-Hansgrohe into the breakaway group and would then have a good chance of winning the stage. There should also be movement in the group of classification riders.
Schedule, TV coverage & live stream of stage 9 of the Vuelta a Espana 2023
The peloton will set off at around 12.30 pm, with the sharp start at 12.39 pm. The calculated finish at the Collado de la Cruz de Caravaca, which is the finish of a Vuelta stage for the third time, should be between 17:02 and 17:30 at an average speed of around 40 kilometres per hour.
Eurosport will broadcast all stages of the Vuelta a Espana 2023. Stage 9 will be shown free-to-air on Eurosport 1 from 14:15. Including post-stage coverage, the broadcast will run until 17:45. The paid providers GCN+ and Discovery+ will also be showing a live stream on the internet.
Vuelta a Espana 2023 - Stage 9: The most important information at a glance
- Mountain stage over 184.5 kilometres
- Start of the stage: approx. 12:30 pm
- Calculated end of the race: approx. 17:15
- TV broadcast: 14:15 - 17:45 Eurosport 1
