The Vuelta a España could return to the Lakes of Covadonga in 2024, as reported by the Spanish newspaper La Nueva España. The 12.5 km ascent, with an average gradient of 6.9% and peaks of up to 16%, is a true classic of the Vuelta. The Vuelta a España has finished at the brutal Asturian ascent 23 times.
The last time the Lakes of Covadonga were featured in the Vuelta a España was in 2021. On that day, Primoz Roglic was the dominant force in the peloton, finishing 1 minute and 35 seconds ahead of his then Jumbo-Visma teammate, Sepp Kuss, on his way to a third overall victory in the race for the red jersey of the Slovenian.
History of great winners
In 1983, Marino Lejaretta had the honor of being the first winner to raise his hands. Since then, the path to the Lagos de Covadonga has been conquered by names like Pedro Delgado, Luis Herrera, Laurent Jalabert, Pavel Tonkov, Nairo Quintana, and Primoz Roglic in 2021.