Alto De L'Angliru

The most severe climb of the 2017 Vuelta has a fearsome reputation

- Giles Belbin

For every rider who has ever suffered the slopes of the Angliru, blame Miguel Prieto. On September 23 1997, the then communications director of the charity ONCE wrote a letter to the organisers of the Vuelta a España that included a paragraph that would change cycling history.

“There exists in Asturias, about 15 kilometres from Oviedo, a mountain whose road is hardly referenced on the map,” wrote Prieto. “This mountain is known as La Gamonal.” Prieto went on to provide delicious details of a climb that was “sprinkled with multiple ramps of 20 percent, 18 percent, 17 percent and even 23 percent”. Prieto wrote that if it was ever to be included in the Vuelta those who saw it would never forget it.