Alto de El Angliru
The Alto de El Angliru (alternative name: La Gamonal) is arguably one of the heaviest climbs in professional Road bicycle racing. It is the most feared ascent of the Vuelta a España.
The climb is located in Asturias, near La Vega-Riosa, in northern Spain. The top is on 1570 metres above sea level. The total height difference is 1248 metres. The climb has a length of 12,55 kilometres, so it has an average 9.9% slope. The steepest part, which has an 23.6% slope, is known as Cueña les Cabres. This point is located on about 3 kilometres from the finish line.
The organizers of the Vuelta de España searched for a long time for a mountain that could rival the Alpe d'Huez or the Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France. The El Angliru was discovered and was first part of the race in 1999. Since then the Angliru has been descended only 3 times, but it is nonetheless one of the most feared climbs in professional cycle racing.
Winners on El Angliru
Categories: Cycling stubs | Spain geography stubs | Famous climbs in cycle racing | Mountains of Spain | Asturias