STAGE DESCRIPTION

After our first night in Andorra la Vella, we’ll get up raring to explore the fantastic landscapes of the so-called Country of the Pyrenees.

We’ll start the route by joining three pretty climbs that will take us to an altitude of 2,093 metres, the highest point of this third stage. After a short climb to Alt de la Comella, the road gets harder and we’ll head towards Alt d’Engolasters and the reservoir that was created to send water to the hydroelectric power station, which supplies 20% of the electricity consumed in the country. We can’t leave without stopping to enjoy the views of the mountains and peaceful waters. We then ride on a short stretch of gravel that will lead us to the tough slopes of today’s main objective, Cortals d’Encamp, a special category mountain pass that was a stage finish in the 2015 and 2019 editions of La Vuelta a España.

The stage ends with the climb to Coll d’Ordino, quite possibly the loveliest mountain pass in Andorra. The summit features the amazing viewpoint of the Mirador del Roc del Quer, which will delight us with 360° panoramic views of Encamp valley and the nearby mountain peaks before the final descent to our comfortable hotel.

STAGE DESCRIPTION

Today we’ll visit the south of the principality of Andorra, where we’ll tackle the challenging climbs to Coll de la Gallina and La Rabassa, which will delight the most enthusiastic cyclists.

We’ll begin the stage heading towards Spain until reaching the junction that indicates the start of the climb to the impressive Coll de la Gallina, a stage finish and decisive mountain pass in several editions of La Vuelta a España. No wonder professional cyclists based in the area use its steep slopes as a training ground and it is a regular track for Purito Rodríguez, Andorra’s great cycling ambassador. After a good dose of suffering, we’ll reach the summit and then we’ll descend down the Fontfreda side, paved in 2015 by the Andorran government to enable cyclists to use both sides of the mountain.

The last mountain pass on the route is also a regular feature in the thrilling stages of La Vuelta a España that take place in Andorra. Although it is the longest, it is not as tough as the previous one. The climb will take us to Naturlandia, the adventure park of the Pyrenees that we can visit if we feel like having some fun before heading back to Andorra la Vella.

STAGE DESCRIPTION

Our last day in Andorra will keep us up in the mountains. We’ll say goodbye to this marvellous country by climbing three beautiful mountain passes.

The first is Coll de Beixalís, which was paved in 2015 for the La Vuelta a España and the following year it also featured in the Tour de France. The road starts off with an extremely steep slope to reach staggering elevation gains; it then gradually becomes easier on the legs until we reach the top, at a height of 1,795 metres. The descent passes through Anyós Park, an exclusive sports club where we can treat ourselves to a drink on its pleasant terrace.

The ascent to Coll d’en Cabús starts in La Massana. The category-1 mountain pass will take us to Catalonia’s natural border. The last kilometres will offer us impressive views of the peak of Comapedrosa, the highest mountain in Andorra. From the summit we’ll be able to spot the route that was used years ago to smuggle Andorran tobacco into Catalonia and, if we carry on looking at history’s horizon, we’ll also see the people who secretly used the route in the middle of the 20^th century, in their search for freedom.

Halfway down we’ll treat ourselves to a last climb and we’ll go to the Pal-Arinsal ski resort, a stage finish in the 1993 edition of the Tour de France and of our own spectacular tour of the Pyrenees.