Since arriving at Angliru in 1999, the organization of the Vuelta Ciclista a España has searched Asturias for unprecedented peaks with which to surprise fans. La Farrapona, Cotobello, Cuitu Negru, Alba, Les Praeres, El Acebo, La Cubilla or El Gamoniteiru are some of the ports that have been the end of the stage in recent years. These new peaks, which seek a media impact, are usually accompanied by ascents as mythical as that of Los Lagos de Covadonga, which never disappoints the fans.
For La Vuelta in 2022, Unipublic, the organizing company, is working together with the Government of the Principality to find an unprecedented port for one of the stages and repeat one of the already established finals. Everything points to the novel ascent to Collado Fancuaya It will be the end of the stage in the Vuelta a España 2022. Les Praeres, in Nava, could repeat after being the end of the stage in 2018, to the detriment of El Cuitu Negru, who is also being talked about, who would have to wait for future editions.
Collado Fancuaya is a small plain located at 1,100 meters of altitude, at the foot of Pico la Lloral, in the mountains of the council of Yernes and Tameza. Place of extraordinary beauty, natural viewpoint of the mountains and landscapes of the Camín Real de La Mesa region and pasture land of local cattle ranches during the summer. This summit is reached after a beautiful and hard climb of 4.5 km. from Yernes, along a cattle track that has been recently paved.
This area has great potential to host the end of the stage, due to its moderate hardness, with maximum slopes of 17% and with a great possibility of combinations for the end of the stage. Steep climbs of around 15 km. to get to Yernes from different slopes or the possibility of doing a circuit passing through Yernes on several occasions.
As soon as La Vuelta of the year 2020 finished, the then mayor of Yernes and Tameza, José Manuel Fernández Tamargo, presented the Vice-Minister of Tourism of the Principality, Graciela Blanco, a project for the end of the stage in Collado Fancuaya, which was also sent to Unipublic, organizing company of La Vuelta. Now it only remains for both parties to agree.
The other end of the stage in our region can be in Les Praeres de Nava. The summit located in the Sierra de Peñamayor already hosted the end of the stage of La Vuelta 18, where the British Simon Yates won the victory that helped him to dress as a leader and keep him until the end of the round in Madrid.
After the sporting success of that stage, the director of routes of La Vuelta, Fernando Escartín, He showed his willingness to include this climb again in the Spanish round route on future occasions.
Leaving aside sports, it must be taken into account that the Government of the Principality always seeks the highest profitability in the investment it makes, taking advantage of the route for the maximum promotion of our region, and in this sense it must be remembered that the Cider Museum, which is located in Nava, is about to start a relaunch plan with which it is intended to increase visits and increase activities to consolidate itself as a meeting space for the entire sector and the main reference for the projection of Asturian cider abroad, now that the cider culture also seeks to be declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
El Cuitu Negru, waiting
If the Les Praeres option were ruled out, the other end of the stage could be located at Cuitu Negru. The summit located at the highest point of the Valgrande-Pajares winter resort was discovered by La Vuelta in 2012. It is spectacular, never seen before. It is a wall, pure emotion. The then unpublished port of Lena gave a lot to talk about.
The ascent to Valgrande-Pajares lasted up to 19.4 kilometers in length to discover the very steep ramps of the Cuitu Negru. Three kilometers were added after paving the track of the ski resort where there are slopes of 16, 20 and even 22%.
Dario Cataldo put his name for eternity as the first winner in the history of Cuitu Negru. The Italian cyclist won an agonizing, historic and tremendous victory that will go down not only for him but also for the annals of modern cycling.
Joaquín “Purito” Rodríguez knew how to keep the leader’s jersey, despite the harsh attacks carried out by Alberto Contador’s team from the beginning of the port of Pajares and from Madrid in the first person at the moment when the ramps became a wall.
The Government of the Principality has approved a project to improve the Valgrande Pajares ski resort, with an investment of 10 million euros. The works, which will begin next spring, would be in full swing on the dates scheduled for the return, something that indicates that the end of the stage at the Cuitu Negru may be postponed for a later edition, once the works have been completed.
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