The Alto de l'Angliru : the Hell of Asturias

In the world, there are climbs renowned for their dizzying slopes and unbearable length. Passes so hard that they inspire respect and fear in runners as soon as their names are mentioned once.. The Alto de l’Angliru is part of this caste.

What relief does the Angliru road cross? ?

Alto de l’Angliru is located in the Principality of Asturias, in the North of Spain, and approximately 20 kilometers south of Oviedo, capital of this principality. Angliru is located in the heart of the Cantabrian Cordillera. This mountain range in northern Spain extends from the territorial limits of Galicia to those of the Spanish Basque Country.

The Cantabrian Cordillera is home to other mountainous routes that are used by the Vuelta, like the ascent of Lagos de Covadonga, also located in Asturias.

The Alto de Angliru, whose summit is at 1568 meters above sea level, is located more precisely in the heart of the Sierra del Aramo, a mountain range whose summit is the Alto del Gamoniteiro, high of 1791 meters, now also used as a summit finish at the Tour of Spain in 2021.

A story that is both short and rich.

Most of the legendary grand tour passes have a long history behind them, going back even a century, like the Tourmalet whose first appearance dates back to 1910. Angliru has a much shorter history., since it is only the 12 September 1999 that it makes its first appearance in the Tour of Spain.

The first runner to win at the top of this pass was the late José Maria Jimenez. (1971-2003). This first appearance in the Tour of Spain was a great success and since this historic date, Angliru was used as a stage finish in seven subsequent editions (2000, 2002, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2020).

In only 24 ans d’existence, this climb in the heart of Asturias has become a must in cycling culture. The Angliru has become one of those legendary passes that every climber wants to add to their list. “hunting table”, like Mortirolo in the Italian Alps or Mont Ventoux in France.

However, the history of Angliru has not always been happy. In 2002, when the Angliru was taken for the third time, a heavy downpour falls on the ascent. Under the effect of rain which makes the road very slippery, and the hardness of the slope, the riders suffered as rarely in a bike race and many controversies ensued. david miller, who fell twice during this climb, did not hold back his anger towards the organizers :

“We are not animals. It's inhumane.”

David Millar to the press after the 15th stage of the Vuelta 2002.

In response to this, Angliru was forgotten for six years, before making his reappearance in 2008, with the victory of Alberto Contador who headed towards his first victory in the Tour of Spain. The gunman also has a particular history with this ascent, since it is on these slopes that the latter would seek the last victory of his career, the 9 September 2017.

It is thanks to this ultimate feat that Contador is the only one to have won twice in the Angliru. A performance not repeated since then.

One of the most difficult climbs in Europe

“This is going to be a horrible final climb“

Remco Evenepoel at RTBF microphones about Angliru

These are the words of Remco Evenepoel to describe the hardness of this ascent of the Angliru. The Belgian champion had carried out a reconnaissance a few days before adding a third The classic on his list. The Alto de l’Angliru is considered one of the toughest passes in Europe.

The Alto de l’Angliru is long 12,8 kilometers with an average slope of 9,8%, according to the organizers of the Vuelta. The first three kilometers are rather tough, with an average slope of 8,7%. This first part of the pass already tires the runners, with slopes that are both difficult to manage, but also relatively regular.

After three kilometers of climbing, the road becomes easier, with flat passages allowing runners to recover before the hard part of the climb, which alone justifies the reputation of Angliru.

This hard portion of the climb is 6,5 kilometers to 13,3% of average slope, with dizzying passages 22 and 24%. With a percentage like this, the cyclists, amateurs and pros alike, except the best climbers, are forced to zigzag to support the load of the slope.

But what makes Angliru one of the hardest passes in Europe is not only the difficulty of the slope but also its regularity.. In these 6,5 kilometers, there is no flat area, therefore no opportunity for runners to lower their heart rate before working again.

What will happen this year ?

This Wednesday 13 September 2023, Angliru will make his ninth appearance in the Vuelta as justice of the peace of the 17th stage. The stage victory could be in the hands of the breakaway, where many runners have already expressed the desire to win it, dont Remco Evenepoel.

But at the time of writing this article, this climb will probably be the judge of the peace which will decide the final victory between the favorites of this Vuelta. Sepp Kuss, surprising red jersey since his victory at Javalambre, begins to show its limits, since we saw him lose four seconds to Roglic, Ayuso and Mas in the climb to Bejes. Is he starting to weaken from his efforts this season or is it due to the fact that the climb did not correspond to his profile as a pure climber ? We will see him this afternoon.

Jonas Vingegaard, on the other hand, regained his Tour de France form after a complicated first week and once again seems untouchable in the mountains after his two stage victories at Tourmalet and Bejes. In the event of Kuss failure, the Dane could then decide to pick up the pace and seize the red jersey of this Vuelta.

At any rate, the stage will be interesting to watch and will complete the legend of the Angliru.