Cyclist Liepiņš reaches the finish line “130th in the world’s most inhumane climb” / Article / LSM.lv

On Sunday, the Latvian cyclist of the team “Trek Segafredo” Emīls Liepiņš finished 130th in the 12th stage of the prestigious multi-day competition “Vuelta a Espana”, which ended with a finish at the challenging top of Angliru Hill. Several cyclists have previously called the brutal rise both a hellish and an inhumane test.

The winner was the British Hugh Card (“EF Pro Cycling”), who completed the 109-kilometer section 16 seconds faster than the nearest competitors. Liepiņš, who started for the first time in one of the big tours, lost 34 minutes and 32 seconds to the winner.

The length of the section is not quite typical for professional cycling, but a smaller number of kilometers is not without reason. The riders had four categorical intermediate intermediate finishes on the way, but all were crowned by a rise to the finish, in front of which the Ventu mountain, which had gained the fame of the most difficult test of the “Tour de France”, could also fade.

“Vuelta a Espana” stage 12 terrain scheme

# LaVuelta20

A short but incredibly sharp stage as we finish atop the famous Alto de l’Angliru and its stingingly steep gradients.???? pic.twitter.com/nocxVCedWb

– Team Sunweb (@TeamSunweb) November 1, 2020

On the rise of Angliris, riders climbed 1266 meters higher on narrow roads for 12.5 kilometers. The real “hell” starts in the middle of the climb, with the road slope exceeding 13% on average. At the eleventh kilometer, the rise reaches 17.4%, but in some places even 24%. When stopping on such a slope, it is practically impossible to resume driving uphill.

The place in the history of cycling was won by the actions of David Millar, a Scottish World Championship medalist and winner of many stages on big tours, in 2002, when the stage was also at the top of Angliru Hill. In protest, Millars stopped before the finish line and removed his driver’s number, for which he was disqualified.

“We are not animals and this is inhumane,” Millar said after a stage where the same route as the 2020 Vuelta a Espana participants measured the way to the finish. The Spanish cyclist Oscar Seville, who was fourth in the overall rating of “Vuelta a Espana” in 2002, called the inhumane rise.

The former manager of the cycling team “Kelme” Visente Belda has also said in history that it is not fair to demand doping-free cycling, but at the same time to subject athletes to such a barbaric test.

The climb on Mount Angluel in the “Vuelta a Espana” route was included for the eighth time.

In the overall standings, Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapass (“Ineos Grenadiers”) regained the lead, 10 seconds ahead of his closest rival Slovenian Primož Roglič (“Jumbo-Visma”).

The participants of the “Vuelta a Espana” must cover 2,897 kilometers in 18 stages, divided into 18 stages, by the end of the last major tour of the season in Madrid. The cycling trip was scheduled to start on 14 August in the Netherlands, but the pandemic changed both the route and the timing of the 75th Vuelta a Espana.

The competition in Spain has gathered many high-level cyclists, among whom Roglich is trying to defend the title won a year ago.

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