- published: 15 Sep 2013
- views: 117779
Alto del Angliru (alternative name: La Gamonal) is a steep mountain road in Asturias, near La Vega-Riosa, in northern Spain. It is one of the most demanding climbs in professional road bicycle racing. It has been used in the Vuelta a España stage race.
The organizers of the Vuelta a España wanted a mountain to rival the Alpe d'Huez and Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France and the Mortirolo Pass and Monte Zoncolan in the Giro d'Italia, which would go on in 2003 to add one of the world's most demanding climbs, the Zoncolan, in an attempt to compete with the new Spanish climb. The Angliru was first included in 1999, on stage eight from León. José Maria Jiménez won after catching Pavel Tonkov a kilometer from the finish. He dedicated the win to Marco Pantani, disqualified from that year's Giro d'Italia, saying: "I dedicate it to Pantani by everything that he has suffered in this time".
The top of the climb is 1,573 metres (5,161 ft) above sea level. The height difference is 1,266 m (4,154 ft). The climb is 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) long, an average of 10.13%. It is near 24% at its steepest. The first 5 km (3.1 mi) are an average of 7.6%— stiff but not over-demanding for world-class cyclists. The sixth kilometre lessens to 2.1% and has a short descent. The last half of the climb is more severe. From six kilometres to the summit, it averages 13.1%. The steepest part, the Cueña les Cabres at 23.6%, is 3 km (1.9 mi) from the summit. There are two later ramps at 18% to 21% (sources vary).
Uncle Ray is gone, a relative they couldn't find
Finally free of his insanity, they covered him with lime
In a ditch outside the old junkyard on 17
Well that crazy drunk I swear he was a gentleman to me
So take him far far away
Take him far far away
Out past all discussions, far from what they said
Take him far far away
Take him far far away
'Cuz we're sort of related
Here lies Uncle Ray
Dry rough skin, his hands, a working man, like bark from trees
He'd come to the back door of my familiy's house
For coffee and something to eat
Pushed a shopping cart all filled with junk and empty cans
He came home from the war to find his wife
Now loved another man
So take him far far away
Take him far far away
Out past all discussions, far from what they said
Take him far far away
Take him far far away
'Cuz we're sort of related
Here lies Uncle Ray
In this photograph we're hand in hand in deep white snow
Ray was 65 and nearly blind, and I was 4 or so
All the neighbors used to laugh and throw snowballs at him
Now I live alone and when it snows
I try not to think of them
So take him far far away
Take him far far away
Out past all discussions, far from what they said
Take him far far away
Take him far far away
'Cuz we're sort of related
'Cuz we're sort of related
'Cuz we're sort of related
Here lies Uncle Ray