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2013 Vuelta a Espana: Stage 5 live updates, blog

28th August, 2013
2013 La Vuelta a Espana - Stage 5

Sober - Lago de Sanabria

Start: 12.00am AEST
Distance: 168.4 km
TV: Eurosport (LIVE)
Roar Guru
28th August, 2013
81

The 2013 Vuelta a Espana continues with another rugged stage. As the peloton cycle 174.3km from Sober to Lago De Sanabria. Join us for live updates from 12.00am AEST.

Departing Galicia for the autonomous region of Castile and Leon, the stage ends near the shoreline of Sanabria Lake.

The predicted North-Easterly to Easterly winds could cause trouble, as the peloton farewells the valleys and becomes more exposed while they ascend to climb the two categorised climbs of the stage.

For such a mountainous profile it is surprising there are only two categorised climbs.

The summit of the Alto do Covelo arrives 79.5km in to the stage, while the summit of the Alto de Padornelo arrives 31.3km from Stage 5’s finish.

The two climbs are tentatively 11km and 10km in length at average gradients of 4 percent and 2.6 percent respectively.

The final kilometres of the stage will, for once, be relatively flat, and ever so slightly downhill for the final kilometre.

The only object hindering the bunch sprint shall be the finishing ‘straight’.

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Positioning will be essential due to the curvy nature and width of the road, so the finish shall best suit those teams and sprinters with strong lead-out trains able to stretch the peloton out and claim pole position.

An early breakaway should again form soon after the stage begins.

However, the breakaway could be on a tight leash, with Stage 5 being one of a limited number of opportunities the sprinters have to prove themselves.

The parcours will not help them however, so we could see some tired legs before the stage’s finish.

Prepare the caffeine and steady yourself for yet another exciting stage finale in the 2013 Vuelta a Espana. Remember to join us from 12.00am AEST for live updates.

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