Ah, stage 5... the Vuelta hits the mountains already. And serious mountains they are, at least in the context of a Vuelta that claims its "queen stage" is stage 8, and that bypasses the Pyrenees entirely. Anyway, there is nothing sweeter in Cyclo-fan-blog-land than the sight of a Grand Tour going dramatically upward. Will the race take shape in week 1... of 3? Will Oscar Pereiro elevate his chances with another heroic loss of 26 minutes? Will the real Alejandro Valverde become apparent in a stage race? Will Alex Vinokourov and his Astana mates wreak their terrible revenge on the sport? Official Sherlock-level, unintentionally funny English translation of the Official Stage Preview here. Or as Drew would say... "Stage 5 - 178K, two cat 1's followed by a cat 2 and finishing on an HC. Wheeeeeeeeee! How close is Madrid?"