Vuelta a Espana 2024 - Stage 16: Mountain finish at the mythical Lagos de Covadonga
Thomas Goldmann
· 23.08.2024
Vuelta a Espana: The most important facts in brief
- Stage 16, Tuesday, 3 September
- Luanco - Lagos de Covadonga, 181.3 kilometres, mountain stage, 3820 vertical metres
- Official start: 12:59
- Estimated arrival time: ~ 17:18 - 17:45
- TV broadcast: 12:30 - 18:00 Eurosport 1
- Live stream: Discovery Plus (subject to a charge)
- All stages of the Vuelta a Espana 2024 at a glance
- The start list
Vuelta 2024: 16th stage - route, elevation profile and map
After the riders have spent the second rest day in Oviedo, the 16th stage will start on Tuesday around 40 kilometres to the north in the Asturian coastal town of Luanco, which has 6000 inhabitants. The finish is at the Lagos de Covadonga (Covadonga Lakes), which are located in the immediate vicinity of the pilgrimage site of Covadonga, where the Battle of Covadonga took place in 722. It is considered the beginning of the "Reconquista", the Christian reconquest of Spain. But the place is not only of mythical significance for the history of Spain - Covadonga is also well known to cycling fans. This is the 23rd time that the lakes have been the finish line of the Vuelta a Espana.
From the start, the route heads east and the riders cross Gijon at kilometre 17. After that, the first hills await. The first of a total of three hills is the Mirador del Fito (1st category), the ascent of which begins at kilometre 70. At 7.1 kilometres, the average gradient is 7.9 per cent, at the steepest point it is twelve per cent.
The peloton continues south, once in a circle, to take on the Collada Llomena (1st category) - a difficult climb of 7.6 kilometres, 9.3 per cent average gradient and ramps of up to 14 per cent.
After crossing the Llomena, the peloton heads north again. At Cangas de Onis, the riders are back on the old route, but this time they turn right towards the lakes of Covadonga. The final climb is 12.5 kilometres long and has an average gradient of 6.9 per cent. The steepest ramps of up to 16 per cent are reached after around six kilometres. In the upper third, the mountain becomes unrhythmic with a short flat section and two short descents. The last few metres to the finish climb slightly again.
Sporting assessment of the 16th stage
What Alpe d'Huez is to the Tour de France or the Mortirolo to the Giro d'Italia, the Lakes of Covadonga are to the Vuelta a Espana: one of the most prestigious climbs in the history of the race. The classification riders, but also the breakaway riders, will be accordingly hot for the day's victory. The last time Primoz Roglic won the Tour of Spain on the Lagos de Covadonga in 2021, Egan Bernal attacked with Roglic on the Collada Llomena before the Slovenian distanced the Colombian on the final climb. We may see a similar spectacle in 2024.
Schedule, TV coverage & live stream of the 16th stage of the Vuelta a Espana 2024
The neutral start will take place at 12:50. Around nine minutes later, kilometre 0 should be reached. The finish is expected at 17:18 at an average speed of 42 km/h, 17:30 at 40 km/h and 17:45 at 38 km/h.
Eurosport will broadcast all stages of the Vuelta a Espana 2024. The 16th stage will be shown free-to-air on Eurosport 1 from 12:30 p.m.* Including post-event coverage, the broadcast will run until 6:00 p.m. A live stream on the internet is also available from the paid provider Discovery Plus.
* Transmission times are subject to change.
