2012 wouldn't be complete without the final Grand Tour route being leaked
Today the Spanish Newspaper MARCA reported that it had accessed the 2012 route prior to the official release, and of course they published it. As you remember the routes of the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and probably a few others were leaked prior to the official presentations.
The official presentation of the 67th Vuelta a España is planned for tomorrow, Wednesday, January 11 at 12:00 at Baluarte (Pamplona), Palacio de Congresos y Auditorio de Navarra. The 2012 tour is confirmed to begin in Pomplona on August 18th and finish in Madrid on September 9th. We'll have to wait until tomorrow for the exact route details and stage lengths and profiles. Update: the real story from CyclingNews.com on 11 Jan 2012: 2012 Vuelta route revealed.
Official website of the Vuelta a España.
This is the purported route: (The leak had 3 cities wrong. I think it looked too planned, the errors perfectly spaced, almost to promote the leak, but not to give away all the details.)
2012 Vuelta a España route
Saturday August 18, Stage 1: Pamplona - Pamplona. 15.4 km Team time trial
Sunday August 19, Stage 2: Pamplona - Viana
Monday August 20, Stage 3: Oion - Arrate (Eibar). Mountain top finish
Tuesday August 21, Stage 4: Baracaldo - Valdezcaray. Mountain top finish
Wednesday August 22, Stage 5: Logroño - Logroño
Thursday August 23, Stage 6: Zaragoza (Tarazona) - El Fuerte del Rapitán (Jaca)
Friday August 24, Stage 7: Jaca - Motorland (Alcañiz)
Saturday August 25, Stage 8: Lleida -Santuario Canolich Coll de la Gallina (Andorra). Mountain top finish
Sunday August 26, Stage 9: Andorra - Barcelona
Monday August 27: Rest day and Transfer from Barcelona to Ponteareas
Tuesday August 28, Stage 10: Ponteareas - Sanxenxo
Wednesday August 29, Stage 11: Cambados - Pontevedra. Individual time trial
Thursday August 30, Stage 12: Vilagarcía - Mirador de Ezaro (A Coruña)
Friday August 31, Stage 12: Santiago de Compostela - Ferrol
Saturday September 1, Stage 14:Lugo Palas do Rei - Los Ancares. Mountain top finish
Sunday September 2, Stage 15: La Robla - Lagos de Covadonga. Mountain top finish
Monday September 3, Stage 16: Gijón - Cuitu Negro. Mountain top finish
Tuesday September 4: Rest day
Wednesday September 5, Stage 17: Santander - Fuente Dé
Thursday September 6, Stage 18: Aguilar de Campoo - Valladolid
Friday September 7, Stage 19: Peñafiel - La Lastrilla
Saturday September 8, Stage 20:La Faisanera Golf Palazuelo del Eresma - Bola del Mundo. Mountain top finish
Sunday September 9, Stage 21: Cercedilla - Madrid
Read the complete article on MARCA The Tour is North (in Spanish). The newspaper reports: "Specifically, the seven major goals of the Tour 2012 are: Arrate, Valdezcaray, Coll de la Gallina, the goal will be on-Canolich Sanctuary, Los Ancares, Lagos de Covadonga, Cuitu Black (ramps of up to 25%) and Bola del Mundo. To these we must add the other three stages ending in ledges or third ports: Fort Rapitán in Jaca, and the Mirador de Ézaro, in A Coruña, in addition to Fuente Dé, who, at the foot of the Picos de Europe, is one of the most beautiful Cantabria."
Saturday August 18, Stage 1: Pamplona - Pamplona. 15.4 km Team time trial
Sunday August 19, Stage 2: Pamplona - Viana
Monday August 20, Stage 3: Oion - Arrate (Eibar). Mountain top finish
Tuesday August 21, Stage 4: Baracaldo - Valdezcaray. Mountain top finish
Wednesday August 22, Stage 5: Logroño - Logroño
Thursday August 23, Stage 6: Zaragoza (Tarazona) - El Fuerte del Rapitán (Jaca)
Friday August 24, Stage 7: Jaca - Motorland (Alcañiz)
Saturday August 25, Stage 8: Lleida -
Sunday August 26, Stage 9: Andorra - Barcelona
Monday August 27: Rest day and Transfer from Barcelona to Ponteareas
Tuesday August 28, Stage 10: Ponteareas - Sanxenxo
Wednesday August 29, Stage 11: Cambados - Pontevedra. Individual time trial
Thursday August 30, Stage 12: Vilagarcía - Mirador de Ezaro (A Coruña)
Friday August 31, Stage 12: Santiago de Compostela - Ferrol
Saturday September 1, Stage 14:
Sunday September 2, Stage 15: La Robla - Lagos de Covadonga. Mountain top finish
Monday September 3, Stage 16: Gijón - Cuitu Negro. Mountain top finish
Tuesday September 4: Rest day
Wednesday September 5, Stage 17: Santander - Fuente Dé
Thursday September 6, Stage 18: Aguilar de Campoo - Valladolid
Friday September 7, Stage 19: Peñafiel - La Lastrilla
Saturday September 8, Stage 20:
Sunday September 9, Stage 21: Cercedilla - Madrid
Read the complete article on MARCA The Tour is North (in Spanish). The newspaper reports: "Specifically, the seven major goals of the Tour 2012 are: Arrate, Valdezcaray, Coll de la Gallina, the goal will be on-Canolich Sanctuary, Los Ancares, Lagos de Covadonga, Cuitu Black (ramps of up to 25%) and Bola del Mundo. To these we must add the other three stages ending in ledges or third ports: Fort Rapitán in Jaca, and the Mirador de Ézaro, in A Coruña, in addition to Fuente Dé, who, at the foot of the Picos de Europe, is one of the most beautiful Cantabria."
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| The leaked route map of the 2012 Vuelta a España. Source MARCA |
*Update: 11 Jan 2012: route presentation
The Vuelta a España route presentation video:
The official 2012 Vuelta a España route map
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| 2012 Vuelta a España |
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| click this link to view map of Vuelta a España |
| 1 | Crono equipos | Sábado 18 de agosto | Pamplona > Pamplona | 16,2 km |  |
| 2 | Llana | Domingo 19 de agosto | Pamplona > Viana | 180,0 km | |
| 3 | Montaña | Lunes 20 de agosto | Faustino V > Eibar (Arrate) | 153,0 km | |
| 4 | Montaña | Martes 21 de agosto | Barakaldo > Estación de Valdezcaray | 155,4 km | |
| 5 | Llana | Miércoles 22 de agosto | Logroño > Logroño | 172,0 km | |
| 6 | Llana | Jueves 23 de agosto | Tarazona > Jaca | 174,8 km | |
| 7 | Llana | Viernes 24 de agosto | Huesca > Alcañiz. Motorland Aragón | 160,0 km | |
| 8 | Montaña | Sábado 25 de agosto | Lleida > Andorra. Collada de la Gallina | 175,0 km | |
| 9 | Llana | Domingo 26 de agosto | Andorra > Barcelona | 194,0 km | |
| Descanso | Lunes 27 de agosto | ||||
| 10 | Llana | Lunes 28 de agosto | Ponteareas > Sanxenxo | 166,4 km | |
| 11 | Crono | Miércoles 29 de agosto | Cambados > Pontevedra | 40,0 km | |
| 12 | Llana | Jueves 30 de agosto | Vilagarcía de Arousa > Dumbría. Mirador de Ézaro | 184,6 km | |
| 13 | Llana | Viernes 31 de agosto | Santiago de Compostela > Ferrol | 172,7 km | |
| 14 | Montaña | Sábado 1 de septiembre | Palas de Rei > Puerto de Ancares | 152,0 km | |
| 15 | Montaña | Domingo 2 de septiembre | La Robla > Lagos de Covadonga | 186,7 km | |
| 16 | Montaña | Lunes 3 de septiembre | Gijón > Valgrande-Pajares. Cuitu Negru | 185,0 km | |
| Descanso | Martes 4 de septiembre | ||||
| 17 | Llana | Miércoles - 5 de septiembre | Santander > Fuente Dé | 177,0 km | |
| 18 | Llana | Jueves 6 de septiembre | Aguilar de Campoo > Valladolid | 186,4 km | |
| 19 | Llana | Viernes 7 de septiembre | Peñafiel > La Lastrilla | 169,0 km | |
| 20 | Montaña | Sábado 8 de septiembre | La Faisanera Golf. Segovia 21 > Bola del Mundo | 169,5 km | |
| 21 | Llana | Domingo 9 de septiembre | Cercedilla > Madrid | 111,9 km | |