There are few things in life more challenging than completing the Vuelta a España odds competition. Unless, of course the Vuelta a España lines include the suicidal Angrilu stage -as they do they do this year- in which case the event becomes the most difficult challenge in all of pro cycling odds. The Angrilu is legendary among cycling odds fans and riders alike and is typical of the extremely demanding Vuelta a España lines competition.
For non-cycling lines fans it can be difficult to explain just how difficult the Vuelta a España lines battle can be. Sufficient to say, for anyone who has seen how demanding the Tour de France is, it is safe to assume that the Vuelta a España lines are even more difficult to come out on top of. And that’s in a year when the Vuelta a España lines don’t include the incredibly difficult challenge of the Angrilu climb. In 2008 the Vuelta a España odds will include the Angrilu which makes the competition exponentially more difficult.
For those cycling odds fans out there not familiar with the Angrilu here are a few details: The Angrilu climb is located near Asturias in northern Spain, a ruggedly beautiful part of the country that has become one of the signature vistas of the Vuelta a España lines competition. It is over 12 km in length and averages a grade of nearly 10% throughout the Vuelta a España lines battle. The first part of the climb is the ‘easiest’ -if that term can be applied to any stage of the Vuelta a España lines . It begins at a decent clip of around 7-8% grade but by the half way stage of this grueling Vuelta a España lines stage things get progressively steeper and riders are faces with a climb of over 20%.
As most cycling odds fans can imagine this stage of the Vuelta a España lines is what separates the men from the boys. Sprinters should go home. The mythology surrounding this most difficult of the Vuelta a España lines stage are legendary. But perhaps most telling of just how difficult the Angrilu really is goes back to the 2002 Vuelta a España lines when rain wetted down the road and the grade so steep that support vehicles were unable to follow the riders until the pavement dried.
And that in a nutshell is the essence of the vertically demanding Vuelta a España odds battle.