The final mountain stage of the Vuelta a Espana. At
the end of three weeks of racing it will be a complicated day, but the Sierras
de Madrid often offer dramatic race, and with 4000 meters of climbing on the
day that will be a make-or-break ride for many.
The first 25 kilometers of the day aren’t
overly hard, but the Puerto de Navacerrada will open things up with 10
kilometers at 6.8%. It will set up for the day, packed with climbs that aren’t
overly hard or overly steep, but are combined quite difficult. A long flat
section will anticipate the Puerto de Navafria (10Km, 5.5%) which will have
it’s summit with 87 kilometers to go.
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Stage 20: Moralzarzal - Puerto de Navacerrada, 181Km
The race willl then enter it’s crucial
section, with 54 kilometers to go the riders will go over the Puerto de
Canencia (7.3Km, 4.8%) and shortly after the Puerto de Morcuera which has 9.2
kilometers at 6.8%, and a bonus sprint at the summit with 37.7 kilometers to
go. It’s perhaps the most difficult climb of the day, and a technical descent
follows. It’s an explosive ascent, however there will be another opportunity to
create the difference.
Read also
Puerto de la Morcuera: 9.2Km; 6.8% average gradient; 38Km to go
That will be at the Puerto de Cotos, the last serious climb of the race. 10.5 kilometers at 5.6%, not a brutal ascent but this combination saw Tom Dumoulin loose the 2015 Vuelta. This final climb will finish with 6.7 kilometers to go, and a small plateau section will have the riders end the stage in the Puerto de Navacerrada.
Puerto de Cotos: 10.5Km; 5.6% average gradient; 6.7Km to go
CyclingUpToDate prediction:
**** Remco Evenepoel
*** Enric Mas, João Almeida
** Miguel Ángel López, Juan Ayuso, Ben O'Connor
* Jai Hindley, Thymen Arensman, Richard Carapaz, Thibaut Pinot
**** Remco Evenepoel
*** Enric Mas, João Almeida
** Miguel Ángel López, Juan Ayuso, Ben O'Connor
* Jai Hindley, Thymen Arensman, Richard Carapaz, Thibaut Pinot
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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