Date: Sunday 7 September
Distance: 168km
Start location: Vegadeo
Finish location: Monforte de Lemos
Start time: 13:05 CEST
Finish time: 17:17 CEST
As the Vuelta a España travels further west, it gets ever closer to Santiago de Compostela, the final destination of the Way of St James pilgrimage. Christians have been travelling to this grand cathedral since the ninth century, to pay a visit to the shrine of St James within it, and the surrounding area is therefore populated with resting places to stop along the way. One such town is Vegadeo, where this stage of the Vuelta sets off from on the riders’ own long journey to the much further away destination of Madrid, a day before they too can take the sanctity of the second rest day of the race.
From Vegadeo the riders travel south into Galicia, taking on roads that decrease in severity the closer they get to the finish at Monforte de Lemos. The hardest section of the stage is the very first 16.5km, which climbs at a gradient of 5.1% to the summit of Puerto da Garganta, deemed hard enough to be a category one mountain. After that the terrain continues to undulate over a series of uncategorised hills and one category two effort, the Alto de Barbeitos (11.9km at 3.9%), before easing off to a steady descent 75km from the finish, interrupted only by one more uncategorised climb 30km from the finish.
The route is very similar to stage 19 of the 2021 Vuelta, when Magnus Cort came out on top from the breakaway. Cort was part of a 24-man group that formed on Puerto da Garganta at the start of the day, and that reduced to just seven riders following attacks in the final 50km, before winning the sprint in that group. That was the Dane’s third stage win at that year’s Vuelta, and he’s exactly the kind of hybrid sprinter-cum-climber to look out for should they manage to make it into the day’s breakaway.
Not that a breakaway is guaranteed to succeed — in 2021 the group survived by a mere 18 seconds after the peloton chased them all day, led by a Bike-Exchange and Team DSM
working for Michael Matthews and Alberto Dainese respectively. If teams have sprinters
who, like them, survive the early climbs, they may also work hard to chase down the break and force a sprint finish; and it may be easier to do so than that occasion four years ago, given that this stage comes at the end of the second week rather than towards the end of the third, and riders won’t be quite so fatigued.
Contenders
Current leader in the points classification, Lidl-Trek's Mads Pedersen is the big favourite to get his first victory of this Vuelta on stage 13. The Danish rider has been riding impressively well on the climbs during over the past two weeks, surviving gradients that we might once have thought was impossible for a rider with his characteristics. However, all eyes will be on Pedersen and Lidl-Trek to control this stage and the American squad will have a big job on their hands to keep things together for Pedersen to show his sprint at the line.
As well as Pedersen, there are other fast men at this Vuelta who can make it over some difficult terrain. Ineos Grenadiers' Ben Turner won stage four with a turn of speed that surprised and impressed many – he will be looking to do the same again on stage 13 if his the British team can deliver him to the line. If Turner isn't on a good day for Ineos, Filippo Ganna could also finish well on a day like this, whether from the bunch or from a breakaway. Ethan Vernon of Israel-Premier Tech has been second twice in sprints in the Vuelta and if he can survive to the finish then he will be one to watch when the peloton reaches Monforte de Lemos.
If the GC group end up coming to the finish line, Tom Pidcock has a fast sprint after a tough day for Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. He could have a chance here if he gets the opportunity to use his sprint, though it is likely he will be protecting his position overall rather than thinking of a stage win.
The other potential outcome for this stage is a victory for the breakaway. If the GC group are hoping for an easy day, the opening climbs on stage 13 are prime terrain for a break to establish itself and draw out a significant gap. Should this happen, Victor Campenaerts could active for Visma-Lease a Bike, as could Marc Soler for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Bruno Armirail is a contender for a good day in the break for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, as is Anders Foldager for Team Jayco AlUla. Brieuc Rolland, who finished in third place from the break on stage 12, is another man to watch.
Prediction
We're backing Lidl-Trek to control the stage today and think that Mads Pedersen will finally get his stage win.
