The landslides caused by severe weather that hit the area last February have damaged the access road to the Alto de Hazallanas so severely that it is impossible to restore the climb to the necessary safety standards required for La Vuelta's passage during stage number 20.

Same difficulty, same challenge
In order to remain as faithful as possible to the original route, and in collaboration with local authorities, the race organization has decided to replace the Alto de Hazallanas climb with the inaugural ascent of Puerto de El Duque. This modification preserves the essence, difficulty, and challenge of the penultimate stage, with a profile almost identical to the original one. The new climb shares its final section with the climb originally planned.

With this modification, riders will face Puerto de El Purche twice and Puerto de El Duque once, before the final climb to the first Collado del Alguacil. The stage distance will remain virtually unchanged, while the overall level of difficulty and challenge will be in line with the route originally presented in December.

La Vuelta wishes to thank the local authorities and all the organizations involved for their collaboration. Thanks to their joint efforts, it was possible to identify the best alternative to ensure that the event takes place in accordance with the highest safety standards.