Organizers have unveiled the route for the 2008 Tour of Spain, with riders facing several torturous mountain climbs including the famed Alto de Angliru climb.
The three-week long race will start in the Andalusian city of Granada August 30th and include 21 stages covering 3,169 kilometers. The Tour ends in Madrid September 21st.
Twenty teams of nine riders will face at least five mountain-top finishes, including the Angliru climb in the 13th stage. The route also includes three straight mountain finishes in the Pyrenees, beginning with the 224-km seventh stage.
Race organizers hope the increased number of climbs will help bring fans back to the Tour, which has seen its television ratings decline following doping scandals.
Also Wednesday, Tour of Spain organizers announced that the 2009 Tour will start in the Netherlands, with the prologue in Assen in the northeastern province of Drenthe. The first stage will also set off in Assen, the site of a Moto GP race each year.
Some information for this report provided by AP.