Pain faces on the Angliru - Close-up look at how the likes of Vingegaard, Almeida, Pidcock and more have tackled cycling's hardest climb
Cycling
For many, the Alto de l'Angliru is considered the hardest climb in pro cycling. Alongside the Monte Zoncolan, these are the two climbs that are most often featured in the professional side of the sport at the highest level that feature such incredibly high gradients, both on average and maximum. Here is how the Vuelta a Espana's top climbers looked like when going up it.
The climb is 12.4 kilometers long at 9.8%, a one-way road up a steep cliff that leads to a wilderness area in the middle of the Spanish Asturias. The final 6 kilometers of the ascent average 15% - it is noteworthy that the climbs' total average gradient includes the downhill finish and also a small flat section in it's early kilometers. This is a climb also often featured in the Vuelta, the queen of all 'goat tracks' - the incredibly steep and narrow roads the race organizers often use for spectacular finishes.
Hence, due to the ascent's brutality, in which not even small gears of great climbing legs will prevent the pro riders from suffering up it quite a lot, the fans were spoiled with the riders coming by almost individually and at very slow speeds. It also provided for spectacular pictures where alongside the passionate fans, the riders had their pain faces on.
We've assembled a gallery including the top riders at the Vuelta and how they were able to handle the climb, including stage winner João Almeida, race leader Jonas Vingegaard, all the podium contenders including Tom Pidcock, Jai Hindley and Felix Gall, and more... The climb was ridden at pace fully by UAE Team Emirates - XRG, who had Jay Vine and Felix Grossschartner launch Almeida into a stage win that truly lights up the fight for the overall win. But not even the very best in the world could hid etheir struggles up the 23% gradients of La Cueña les Cabres.
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.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
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