"If someone tries it, it will surely break the race" - Alberto Contador warns Vingegaard and Almeida ahead of 'aggressive terrain' in Galicia
Cycling
Stage 16 of the Vuelta a Espana is a very treacherous day, lacking the big long climbs, but having lots of short and steep ones, rolling and narrow roads, where a lot can happen - and a lot did happen back in the 2021 edition. Alberto Contador has shared his opinion and warned the GC riders ahead of the first day of the final week.
"Stage 16 of the Vuelta a España is here, a big stage, a stage that we already experienced a few years ago, with many climbs, almost 3,500 meters of ascent, favorable for the breakaway but also watch out for the men in the general classification," he said in an analysis for Eurosport. The stage will feature climbs of different lengths and a summit finish just outside of Mos in a very inconsistent climb in terms of gradients.
"Castro de Herville is a second category climb but you have to be very careful with it. There are percentages at ten percent, it is a stage with a lot of accumulated elevation gain and it has very hard previous climbs, so I think there can be differences, especially when we see those first 3 kilometers that are above 10 percent (correction: 1.7Km at 10%, ed.), it is a very aggressive terrain with a kilometer at 12 and another at 13 percent".
'El Pistolero' has no doubt. If someone wants to attack the race on that climb, there is nothing stopping them: "If someone tries it, it will surely break the race. We'll see if it's followed up because then the percentages drop to four and five percent. In any case, it's a day in which there will surely be differences between the men in the general classification".
The route takes place entirely in Galicia, a land where there are practically no flat stretches. The road never gives any restibite, it always goes up or down. However, the first climb will not appear until well into the second part of the day, which will allow for a fast and nervous start before the real battle breaks out.
In 2021 this was used as the final GC stage, close to the race's finale in Santiago de Compostela, and it saw quite a lot of drama as third place Miguel Ángel López abandoned the race and ended his time with Movistar, whilst Jack Haig jumped to an unexpected podium place as a result and there were several position changes in the Top10.
Profile stage 16 of the Vuelta a España
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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