The vuelta at Granada with its Monachil section is the cyclist's dream

Here's why the Vuelta at Granada can be the source of dreams and nightmares for keen cyclists

The Vuelta at Granada, one of the stages in the Annual Vuelta a Espana (the Spanish equivalent to the Tour de France), won't be held until next September. But today I came across a blog entry describing the Monachil section of the Vuelta (see below).

Not wanting to wait until September, I decided to write this post now, well in advance of the next race.

vuelta Granada final stages

The first Vuelta in Spain was held in 1935, and has been an annual event since 1955. It takes the cyclists three weeks from start to finish and traditionally ends in Madrid.

But in Granada the vuelta section leading up to Monachil is revered amongst the cycling fraternity. This is because of the severity of the long and winding ascent experienced at the end of the cyclist's day.

Monachil is also very popular for hikers, ramblers and climbers. The scenery, suspension bridges and terrain are breathtakingly beautiful and are well worth a visit in their own right.

Jersey Awards at the Vuelta Granada

The different jerseys awarded to the competitors in the "vuelta a Espana" help create a greater camaderie amongst everyone - and the jerseys give an interesting dimension to the spectators

The various jerseys that are awarded include the following...

Gold jersey - Overall leader
King of the Mountains jersey - Best climber
Blue jersey with a yellow fish motif - Best sprinter (based on points gained)

Cycling in Spain

Needless to say, cycling as a sport is very popular in Spain.

Several roads around Padul and Granada give priority to cyclists and each weekend there are countless club cyclists in their coloured outfits to be seen on the roads in groups of two to fifteen or more.

In fact, locally, we have an infamous one legged cyclist who is seen cycling around during most weekends. I'm not sure how he mounts and dismounts his cycle, but on the road he can compete favourably with any two legged cyclist.

It comes as no surprise, because of the strong following of this sport, to know that Spaniards have come first in 26 of the 57 Vueltas.

The official website de la Vuelta a España 2007 describes the 200 kilometre section with Monachil being the final climb of the day!

Personal Photographic Record

But for a personal view of the Vuelta, take your time and browse through Ole Eichhorn's photographic record of the Monachil stage of the 2006 Vuelta Granada.

As you will read, in September 2006 he came to Granada to watch stage 17 of the Vuelta a Espana, which finished one street over from his hotel. Understandably he wanted to see the final climb up Alto de Monachil, but he ended up hiring a bike and riding it himself.

Pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee and draw your chair up to your monitor, click on Ole's trip up the Alto de Monachil on two wheels and enjoy. The photograph at the top of this page is one of Ole's.

I think his article is the next best thing to being there yourself.

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