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Stage 8 — Saturday, September 2
Dénia to Xorret de Catí, Costa Blanca Interior
Distance: 165km (102.5 miles)
Profile: Mountain stage
Stage 8 is an intense one, with no less than five categorized climbs on the menu plus other hills not granted such status but certain to sap the legs.
The initial pressure will come from the second category Alto de Vall d’Ebo, summitting just 28.8km from the start and likely to prompt a stream of attacks. That is followed by the third cat. Puerto de Tollos (km. 49.4), and then the second category pairing of the Puerto de Benifallim (km. 81.7) and the Puerto de la Carrasquenta (km. 110.2), the latter also acting as the day’s bonus sprint.
Rolling terrain takes the riders towards the intermediate sprint at Ibi (km. 124.5), with the final climb beginning just over 7km from the finish. The category one Xorret de Catí may be just 3.9km in length but it averages 11.4 percent and ramps up to over 20 percent in places.
These gradients will splinter the GC group as well as fragmenting any break which might still be clear. The summit is followed by a fast 3km plunge down towards the finish line, making any gaps over the top all the more important.
Dénia previously hosted two stage starts in 1990. Xorret de Catí has featured stage finishes on six occasions, with Julian Alaphilippe the most recent winner in 2017. A similarly punchy rider could well win this time around.
Schedule
Start time (13.10 CET, 7.10 a.m. EST, 4.10 a.m. WST), estimated finishing time (17.30 CET, 11.30 a.m. EST, 8.30 a.m. WST)