Watching La Vuelta a España Stage 11 in Padrón
Recently, I had an incredible experience watching Stage 11 of La Vuelta a España in Padrón, Galicia, with my friend Eddie from Colorado. Eddie came to Spain not only to enjoy the breathtaking views along the Camino de Santiago but also to check off an item on his bucket list: seeing a stage of La Vuelta in person. Neither of us had attended this event before; in fact, last year was the first time I followed La Vuelta at all through YouTube and various cycling websites.
Happily, La Vuelta was passing through Galicia this year, making a stop in Padrón, situated between Santiago de Compostela and Pontevedra. With Eddie being a fellow cycling enthusiast and me having just experienced the Tour de France live for the first time earlier this year, the excitement for this opportunity was palpable.
Padrón is a significant stop along the Camino Portugués, and we planned our arrival to ensure we could watch the stage. Stage 11 was particularly appealing since it started and finished in Padrón, plus the cyclists would pass through the Cortizo Technological Campus twice more during the day.
To secure our viewing spot, I booked a room for us at Hotel Scala, conveniently located about 2 km from the tech campus. Our day began bright and early as we started walking from Vilagarcía de Arousa at 7:00 a.m. We knew we wouldn’t make it in time for the race’s start, but with the cyclists scheduled to pass through multiple times, we weren’t too worried. We did, however, take a break for drinks and snacks on the south side of Padrón, especially after having hiked over 50 km in the last day and a half.
As we made our way through Padrón, we were greeted by a friendly representative from Carrefour, a French grocery chain and sponsor of La Vuelta. She handed us free caps in the race’s vibrant red color, featuring a tasteful logo of a stylized shopping basket with a heart rather than the Carrefour logo. I proudly donned my cap for the remainder of our Camino.
Upon arriving at the hotel, I was pleasantly surprised. From the photos on Booking.com, I had expected a basic place, and I warned Eddie that it wouldn’t compare to our previous hotel in Vilagarcía, which boasted splendid ocean views. However, when we arrived, it became clear that Hotel Scala was hosting several cycling teams, as their buses and support vehicles filled the parking lot. If it was good enough for the pros, it was definitely good enough for us!
After checking in, we set out for the finish line, about a 2 km walk away. We found a spot approximately 50 meters from the finish, where there was ample space beside the barriers. To our surprise, we stood next to a large group waving Palestinian flags.
As the race began, the first rider who passed was a solo breakaway, but it was still too early in the race for such a move with over 100 km remaining. The cyclists sped by at an astonishing 50 km/h, making it difficult to identify anyone. Luckily, there was a large screen in the distance where we could watch the action unfold.
Here is some video I took of the action:
After we spent some time relaxing in the shade, the cyclists returned for their second pass, followed by the vibrant publicity caravan. This colorful procession of sponsor vehicles distributed promotional items, food, and drinks while loud music played—particularly a catchy tune from Carrefour that got many spectators dancing. It was a festive way for sponsors to engage with fans and promote their brands.
The results from Stage 11 were exciting, with Eddie Dunbar of Team Ineos Grenadiers taking the victory. Dunbar made a decisive move late in the race, showing his strength in the final kilometers and finishing just ahead of the main group. It was a thrilling experience to witness the intensity of the race firsthand.
After the cyclists passed by, we returned to the hotel. As we waited for the elevator to take us to our room on the second floor, I noticed a cyclist in a T-Rex Quick-Step jersey, his race number pinned to his back reading 31. I would have loved to ask him about his race experience, but he was preoccupied, watching a video of what looked like a two-year-old baby son on his phone.
Upon reaching our floor, Eddie gestured to the cyclist to step out first. Ten seconds later—after we were well out of earshot—he remarked that the cyclist’s number ended in 1, which is usually reserved for team leaders.
“I think that was Mikel Landa,” he concluded.
I immediately checked my Vuelta app to verify who number 31 belonged to, and confirmed that it was indeed Landa’s. I was blown away! I’ve been a huge fan of Mikel Landa ever since he played a crucial role in “saving” Sepp Kuss’ Vuelta a España last year from his Kuss’ own teammates on the Angliru, where he helped Kuss maintain his lead during a critical stage.
Landa is a remarkable rider from Spain, known for his ability to gain strength during multi-week races, often finishing in the top 10. He finished 5th overall in this year’s Tour de France and provided invaluable support to Remco Evenepoel, helping him secure a creditable 3rd place finish.
Unfortunately, I didn’t recognize Landa in the elevator—his T-Rex Quick-Step jersey threw me off, and I also didn’t know how he looked. The rebranding from Soudal – Quick-Step to T-Rex Quick-Step for La Vuelta was a strategic move to promote T-Rex as a leading adhesive and sealant brand, which added to my confusion.
Our room was just a few doors down from Landa’s, and for the entire rest of the week, I kept saying to Andrea, “We were in the same elevator as Mikel Landa!” every time I saw him on TV during recaps of La Vuelta.
Being in that elevator with this Spanish cycling hero was, without a doubt, the highlight of my La Vuelta experience. ¡Viva Landismo! It’s a term that reflects the affection fans have for Landa, known for his resilience and charisma as he often rises to the occasion during challenging races.
After that, we went to look for a place for dinner. There were no restaurants within a mile of Hotel Scala except for the restaurant inside the hotel itself. So we ate inside the hotel restaurant. We enjoyed delicious hamburgers and fries and pimientos de Padrón, which are peppers from this region that are fried in olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Most of them aren’t spicy (and in any case, are even less spicy hot than jalapeños), but they sure are tasty. This is one of my favorite dishes in Galicia but is only available in the summer; and how appropriate it is to eat Padrón peppers in Padrón!
In conclusion, watching La Vuelta in Padrón was an unforgettable experience filled with excitement, camaraderie, and a sprinkle of celebrity encounters. I already eagerly await next year’s Vuelta.
Eurosport’s Recap of Stage 11 of the 2024 Vuelta a España
I didn’t take video of the finish since I figured Eurosport would be taking better video of it than I could (plus we were standing 300m away from the finish line at that point). I presumed correctly.
