THE ANGLIRU: A LEGENDARY CLIMB BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL
April 29 th 2026 - 13:00 [GMT + 2]
Key points:
- Next Saturday, May 9, the women’s peloton will tackle the Alto de L’Angliru for the first time in history. It will be more than a mere race decider of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es - rather, a celebration of a new era in women’s cycling.
- First showcased in the 1999 edition of La Vuelta, this climb in the heart of Asturias has captured the imagination of fans and riders alike. Its slopes, as steep as 23% in some sections, have been the scene for some memorable performances.
- The anticipation is high among the main riders in the women’s peloton, with emotions ranging from sheer fear to pure excitement. Reining Tour de France champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot already asserts it is going to be “legendary.”
The first time the Alto de L’Angliru entered the professional cycling scene, it was surrounded by mist and mystery. An intense fog made it impossible for TV cameras to capture most of what was meant to be a much-anticipated summit finish of Stage 8 in the 1999edition of the Vuelta a España. Much was said beforehand about the unprecedented gears the riders would need to overcome the impossible slopes of this new challenge, and the debate over the outcome (Chava Jiménez taking advantage of the low visibility to hang onto motorbikes and overtake Pavel Tonkov just in time to claim the victory) still continues - yet very little was seen. After all, uncertainty is essential in myths like the one built, in less than three decades, around the Alto de L’Angliru.
Located on the outskirts of Riosa, a small town (pop: 1,700) in the very heart of Asturias, the Gamonal mountain is one of the main peaks in the Sierra de Aramo. Even though it lies nearly 50 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean, the view from its summit is so pristine that one feels able to fly straight over to the sea. The main road to reach those sights is the one cycling has made legendary, naming it ‘Angliru’ after a lake near its top that is essential for the many cattle farms spread across the area.
In sporting terms, Angliru means 12.4 kilometres at 9.7% average, with slopes as steep as 23% and entire kilometres climbing well beyond 15% to cover 1,200 metres of elevation gain. It is only fitting that the first victor there was José María Jiménez, one of the best climbers in the history of Spanish cycling. La Vuelta has returned nine times to this climb since the ‘Chava’ first conquered it, and none were more memorable than Alberto Contador’s victory in 2017, sealing a fairytale ending for his career the day before taking his final bow at the end of that Vuelta. ‘El Pistolero’ remains the only rider to ever triumph twice here.
Until just a few years ago, this kind of brutal climb seemed out of reach, or rather culturally forbidden, for the female peloton. Barring occasional exceptions, a somewhat paternalistic view of the scene made race organizers refrain from including the most demanding challenges in women’s races. The rapid professionalization of the last 10 years, though, has made a big difference in this regard and climbs like the Tourmalet, the Alpe d’Huez or the Blockhaus have become a fixture instead of something to steer clear of. In the case of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es, we have seen the cyclists climb to the Lagos de Covadonga or the Lagunas de Neila - and put on a great show.
The inclusion of the Alto de L’Angliru in the route of this year’s edition of the Spanish grand tour has been welcomed with excitement by the female riders. “It’s going to be legendary,” says Visma-Lease a Bike’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. “I’m looking forward to seeing what this climb is about, and to find myself alone on its slopes to truly feel the magnitude of the effort and how demanding its gradients are. Not only physically, but also mentally.” The reigning Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift champion has gone as far as to ask her male teammates, who swept the podium atop the Angliru in 2023, about the climb. “They too are scared of it!”
“It is scary,” confirms UAE Team ADQ’s Mäeva Squiban, winner of two mountain stages in last year’s Tour de France Femmes. “It’s the climb of hell,” echoes EF Education-Oatly’s Cédrine Kerbaol. “It will be a race decider. Keeping the legs fresh as long as possible will be key, as in previous years we’ve seen how in the women’s Vuelta many riders can’t push the pedals with the same energy on the final day as they did in the opening stages.” A former overall winner of the Tour de France Femmes, Canyon//SRAM’s Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, takes a slightly different approach to Kerbaol’s: “The difference will be made by how long you can suffer and ignore the pain. It’s very empowering that the organizers believe we can do such a crazy, brutal climb.” And, instead of underlining the devilish side of the Angliru, focuses on its more glorious one: “It’s a wall-like climb towards heaven.” Her teammate, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, describes it in three words: “Epic, legendary, brutal.” All in all, we can conclude that riders and fans alike can’t wait for next Saturday, May 9, when La Vuelta Femenina 26 by Carrefour.es and the women’s peloton will tackle the Angliru for the first time in history.