The ninth stage of the Vuelta a España race is just hours away, and it will take riders from Cistierna a full 164.5 kilometers to the Alto del Naranco. It’s not the most crucial stage as far as the standings and general classification is concerned, but it will be a good measure of where the riders’ conditioning is at before returning to the Lagos de Covadonga.
Vuelta a España 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Stage 9 online with NBC Sports Gold
All eyes are looking ahead beyond Sunday’s Stage 9, but with four climbs and a big breakaway opportunity, they could be missing out on a big day of racing.
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There are four climbs in the stage, which is set to begin bright and early around 7 a.m. ET., and should last until approximately 11:40 a.m. The exact start time is scheduled for 7:23 a.m. and the best way to watch the day’s events is with NBC Sports Gold, a subscription service that carries all of the world’s top races.
The NBC Sports Gold coverage will begin at 9 a.m. and will run through the end of the day’s stage.
As far as the climbs go, there are three third category climbs and one second category climb. They are tiny compared to what comes after this stage, however. The race gets very serious after this stage, and that may lead to many conserving their energy and not taking advantage of the breakaway the stage presents.
Then again, a breakaway is hard to resist, and with the category two climb coming at the end of the stage, anything can happen. Things will escalate when Stage 10 rolls around, but Stage 9 should be exciting, beautiful and absolutely worth your time.
Vuelta a España coverage for Stage 9 on Sunday
Start time: 7:23 a.m. ET
Route: 165 kilometers from Cistierna to Alto del Naranco
TV: Universal HD (encore coverage, 7 p.m.)
Streaming: NBC Sports Gold (subscription required), starting at 9 a.m.
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