Stage 20: San Martín de Valdeiglesias — Bola del Mundo
What is it? The climbing finale of this year's Vuelta.
Got Climbs? Three major climbs, uphill finish.
Red Jersey Battle: Last chance saloon. The Vuelta will be won and lost here.
Ideal Rider: Why a climber, of course. There's nothing easy about the final climb.
@Gavia: Nothing like finishing a grand tour with a mountain stage.
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Alto del León
Puerto de Navacerrada
Bola del Mundo
Video of the final climb
It's a hard hilly ride from San Martín de Valdeiglesias to the mountain top finish at Bola del Mundo. Only the climbers will enjoy this stage which will decide who wears the Red Jersey in Madrid. There are four categorized climbs, though the Puerto de la Cruz Verde at kilometer 31 is comparatively short. After this category 3, it's all mountainous to the finish. The final climb of the day to Bola del Mundo is a doozy. It's 22 kilometers of climbing to the finish and it boasts a maximum gradient of 20%. Conveniently, the maximum gradient comes close to the finish. Only the best climbers will survive this one. It should be a hard fought battle for the Red Jersey, especially as the time gaps at the top of the general remain relatively close. Bad legs on this final climb could mean big time losses for an unlucky rider. By the end of this stage, we'll know who will win this year's Vuelta.
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