CERATIZIT Challenge By La Vuelta 22: 5 stages and the toughest route yet
May 31 st 2022 - 19:20 [GMT + 2]
The route of the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta 22 was presented at the Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria, in Santander, this Tuesday. The race’s 8th edition will take off from Marina de Cudeyo, Cantabria, on the 7th of September with a team time trial and will conclude on the 11th of September in Madrid. It will include another day of competition, making a total of 5 stages, and will feature its toughest route yet.
The CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta 22 will commence on the 7th of September in Cantabria with a team time trial. The race will visit the Cantabrian territory for the first time and will hold the entire two first stages and part of the third there. As it was already the case in 2021, the race will add another day of competition to its current duration, making it a total of 5 stages.
The route’s official presentation took place at the Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria, in Santander, and featured the distinguished presence of the Vice-President of the Government of Cantabria, Pablo Zuloaga, and the General Manager of Unipublic, Javier Guillén.
In total, there will be five very different stages: an inaugural team time trial, mid-mountain stages, an explosive finale and an opportunity for the sprinters in the traditional final circuit in Madrid, which will coincide with the last stage of La Vuelta 22.
ITS TOUGHEST ROUTE YET
The race will begin with a team time trial spanning over almost 20 km in the municipality of Marina de Cudeyo. This winding route will determine who wears La Roja first.
The second stage will continue to travel through Cantabria with its departure and arrival in Colindres. The riders will have to face a challenging series of mountain passes, with up to five point-incurring climbs, two of them 1st category climbs. It will undoubtedly be a stage for climbers as they overcome the steep ramps of Campo la Cruz (3.2 km at an inclination of 8%) in the final part of the stage.
Just 17 days after hosting the departure of the 7th stage of La Vuelta 22, Camargo will host the departure of the 3rd stage of the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta 22. The peloton will head to Aguilar de Campoo in a stage filled with many uphill stretches. Hoces de Bárcena (16 km at an inclination of 3.4%) will be the day’s main obstacle, with the stage’s final third consisting of constant climbs and descents.
The fourth stage, which will depart from Palencia, will mark a new milestone for the race as it will be the longest stage in the race’s history thus far. 160 km long with a leg-breaker first half and a second flatter stretch with several uphill kilometres at the end. The Segovia aqueduct will watch the cyclists ride past towards the historical city centre’s cobblestoned finale.
To conclude, the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta 22 will again hold a final stage entirely within Madrid’s traditional urban circuit, coinciding with the 21st stage of La Vuelta 22. It will be a great day for the peloton’s most powerful sprinters.
