PREVIEW | Vuelta a Espana 2024 stage 9 - Can Primoz Roglic and Enric Mas crack Ben O'Connor completely in possible queen stage?

Stage 9 of the Vuelta a España is an incredibly hard day in the mountains of Andaluzia. The fight for the red jersey will explode on the very steep Alto de Hazallanas which will be climbed twice and Ben O'Connor will have a very serious test in what is the final day of the first week. We preview the stage ahead.

Stage 9 is the second day in the mountains and the toughest so far. It is a day with three categorized and all of them are brutal. I can't call this the queen stage because the organizers went crazy on stage 20 and also put in brutal days in the Asturias, but this is definitely a crazy hard day. The start of the stage has no categorized climb but several difficult roads where the fight for the breakaway will make it hard. But all three climbs in the second half of the stage are incredibly steep and in the hot weather... These climbs have proven to be incredibly damaging both at the Vuelta and Vuelta a Andaluzia in the past.

Alto del Purche opens things up with 8.9 kilometers at 8%. This features a downhill section in the final kilometer. Most of the climb is at 9/10% and there is, after the downhill, a very steep ramp into the summit with 81 kilometers to go. A steep and technical descent follows before the double ascent of the Alto de Hazallanas.

But there is so much to this climb that makes it ever harder than it looks on profile. The riders climb to Guejar Serra which is 5 kilometers long at 5% but it's not categorized and barely noticeable in the profile even. The second half of the climb will be ridden at full pace because there is then a short steep descent into the base of Hazallanas...

There is a very narrow bridge and on the other side is the first kilometer of the climb at 12% and with ramps at almost 20% and several switchbacks. It's a suffocating section and after a small downhill there are several more kilometers constantly above 10%. It is a gruesome climb with no place to hide and the riders will likely be at the limit from start to finish. It is less steep closer to the summit but the differences will be made before and so it won't be any easier. This will have to be done twice, with the climb summitting with 54 and 22 kilometers to go respectively.

The descent into Granada will be long and very fast. It is not overly technical unlike the climb and will leave the riders close to the finish. The final kilometers are flat but slightly downhill false-flat and so very quickly they will reach the finish line.

Another very very hot day and it will hurt so much... It's just gruesome what the riders are and will be facing. This is another one of those. Some wind from the south will also be present but this will not be felt in Hazallanas.

Primoz Roglic - I had doubts about Roglic, I don't think in the high mountains he performs as well as on these short climbs but clearly he is in great form, the team backs him up, and he loves the heat and Spanish roads. Yes Roglic did take responsibility today, attacked, took the stage win... Confidence will be high and he will want to attack the race again.

Ben O'Connor - Today was a bad sign. Let's be clear, O'Connor is a great climber and his victory was superb. But in Pico Villuercas he lost some time and today he cracked completely in the final 2 kilometers. The tough ascents seem be to causing him difficulties which may mean he does not have his best form. On this day there is no hiding, if he has the same legs he will lose minutes and if there are attacks on the first climb to Hazallanas he can completely.

Enric Mas - We are having prime Mas. This climbing is his best level and the one he only seems to be able to show at the Vuelta. Thus far a Vuelta with no errors and today he even challenged Roglic in the sprint. A motivated rider, in form, and in these climbs he is less behind Roglic. To think of a stage win perhaps is hard with the downhill and flat finale, but he can surely make difference or follow the big attacks.

Behind we have a few riders that had been waiting for this. Mikel Landa will be dreaming of these gruesome mountains and could even drop the rest if he rides like he was doing at the Tour. Carlos Rodríguez could do some damage on his home roads after a strong day today... I will mention Felix Gall, these climbs are good for him and if O'Connor cracks early the Austrian could have freedom to be close to the best.

Mattias Skjelmose, Antonio Tiberi, Lennert van Eetvelt, Eddie Dunbar, George Bennett, David Gaudu, Jack Haig, Florian Lipowitz, Aleksandr Vlasov, Sepp Kuss... There are a few riders that will be there and thereabouts, don't expect attacks from there but instead to pace their way up, and a few should be towards the top.

Richard Carapaz is not reliable when trying to fight for GC and today was a good example, as it was a good climb for him but he once again exploded despite the work already on the final climb. UAE had a disaster day with João Almeida losing minutes, second card Pavel Sivakov also having a bad day. The team may aim for a breakaway win with other riders whilst the GC is a complete wildcard for the time being.

Carapaz may try to be in the breakaway of the day, and other riders will look to this to try and win the stage, although that will be hard. UAE have Adam Yates and Marc Soler; Michael Woods, Jefferson Alexander Cepeda, Matthew Riccitello, Laurens de Plus, Guillaume Martin, Giulio Ciccone, Carlos Verona and Max Poole may be among the favourites as well.

*** Primoz Roglic, Enric Mas
** Mikel Landa, Carlos Rodríguez
* Felix Gall, Mattias Skjelmose, Antonio Tiberi, Lennert van Eetvelt, Eddie Dunbar, Sepp Kuss, Adam Yates, Marc Soler, Jefferson Alexander Cepeda

Pick: Primoz Roglic