Heat, steep climbs, a peppery finish in Herrera del Duque and a climax in the Sierra de Gata on the return of the Vuelta a Extremadura
Vuelta a Extremadura
Del 15 al 19 de junio
It has taken less than a year, nine months, to see the cycling peloton back on the roads of Extremadura. The regional race, which returned last September with new energy after a few years of silence, confirms its commitment to once again be one of the major events on the amateur calendar. And it does so with facts: compared to the three days of competition in 2021, there will be five in 2022. Few stage races at the moment have so many days of competition. And both the regional government and the regional federation, the main promoters of the project together with the provincial councils of Cáceres and Badajoz, do not rule out the possibility of increasing the number of days of competition in future editions.
What is certain is that in future editions there will be much more mountainous proposals than the present one. The inclusion of the Villuercas Peak and the great mountain passes of the Central System on Cáceres soil, without ignoring an orographic surprise in Las Hurdes, will be on the list of pending issues. But this, however, is a question for the future. For this 2022, where the heat could play a very important role (Extremadura has just experienced days of orange alert in terms of temperatures), the organisation proposes a start under the formula team time trial and four place-to-place stages.
Apart from the final stage, in which the Sierra de Gata will play a leading role, the third day will be a day to be taken into account. On Friday the Tour arrives in Herrera del Duque, although the finishing line will not be in the town centre of the village in the Siberia region, but in the neighbouring Sierra Chamorro. Specifically at the accesses to the ruins of its medieval castle, Castillo de Herrera, an enclave that usually hosts the end of the Vuelta a los Pantanos in the Masters category. There are just over three kilometres of ascent with an average of over 7% and a very demanding final part with ramps of up to 20% and stretches of paved road.
The EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team U23 will be one of the twenty participating teams of this edition, in which there is not lacking the presence of structures of Portugal. Under the direction of Félix García Casas, since the Vuelta coincides in its dates with the final part of the Giro d’Italia U23, in Extremadura will compete David Domínguez, Ramón Fernández, Antonio González, Manuel Oioli, Andrea Pietrobon, Gabriele Raccagni and Javi Serrano. A team that combines good climbers and fast cyclists in which there are three riders who debut this season in the U23 category.
The stages.
Stage 1 (15 June): Zafra – Zafra (6 km TTT).
Stage 2 (16 June): Llerena – Quintana de la Serena (140 km).
Stage 3 (17th June): Castuera – Herrera del Duque / Herrera Castle (148 km).
Stage 4 (18th June): Miajadas – Garrovillas de Alconétar (145 km).
Stage 5 (19th June): Ahigal – Moraleja (150 km).
