Rarely has a climb been as suited to a race as Ermita de Alba is to the Vuelta a España. As the Vuelta - in recent years - has looked for increasingly steeper and more challenging stage finishes, it was only a matter of time before they discovered the road to the Alba Hermitage - sandwiched in between the dominating trio of Angliru, La Cobertoria and Puerto de San Lorenzo.
The climb immediately became the talk of the peloton; not least for the unprecedented 30% ramp in its final 300 metres. The first ever stage hee took place in 2015 and was won on a breakaway by Franck Schleck, with Joaquim Rodriguez leading the way amongst the GC contenders.
Its steep slopes certainly make Ermita de Alba an exciting challenge for cyclists who love to climb, but it also a beautiful mountain to ride. The road is very quiet and peaceful, particularly on the final steep ramps once you have passed the village of Salcedo. Just before the top of the climb you will reach a junction and small parking area which leads to the Ermita itself. This is not the top of the climb; you still must continue straight ahead, up the 30% slope to the summit, upon conquering this you can still see the remannts of the finishing line that was marked for the Vuelta.
Ermita de Alba is open throughout the year, although localized snow can result in short term closures during the winter.
The top of the climb is clearly marked
Roads & Traffic
The road is in good condition and there is little traffic on the climb throughout the year.
Spain
France