No Covadonga, no Angliru. But  La Covatilla, El Morredero, La Cobertoria, Calar Alto and La Pandera for 2006. Plus a starting team time trial as well as two individual time trials. These are the hallmarks of the 2006 Vuelta a Espana, whose route was announced today.

The mountains have perhaps been "softened," but perhaps not. There are five uphill finishes and the first week is also harder than normal:  Some serious climbing starts on Stage 5, which finishes on the Covatilla, there's another uphill finish two days later on El Morredero, and another uphill finish on Stage 9, which is the queen stage of the race. The two individual time trials are on Stage 14 and 20, with serious climbing on Stages 16 (finishing on the Calar Alto the day after the second rest day), 17 and 18.

The organizer, Unipublic, also made very clear in today's presentation that it has exactly a zero tolerance for doping and that it supports the UCI, WADA, the doping labs and the Superior Council of Sports in the fight against doping. The race is undoubtedly still stinging from this year's positive doping control of Roberto Heras, (formerly) four time winner.

Were that not enough, just last week, cycling's "Big Three" - Unipublic, RCS/La Gazzetta and Le Tour/ASO, decided to split from the ProTour and organize their own calendar after continuing disagreement with the UCI. Today, the Spanish Secretary of State for Sport attended the presentation, ostensibly in a show of support for the decision of Unipublic to part its races from the ProTour.

Below are the first basic facts and figures about the 2006 Tour of Spain.

61st Vuelta a Espana
26 August - 17 September 2006

The Map

Courtesy La Vuelta. Click for larger image.

The Altimetries

Courtesy La Vuelta.

Courtesy La Vuelta.

Quick Facts

21 Stages - approximately 3129 km
11 Flat stages
7 Meduim and high mountain stages
2 Individual Time Trials
1 Team Time Trial
5 Mountain top finishes
61 km of individual time trial
7 km of team time trial
Special Category Climbs: 4
1st Category Climbs: 10
2nd Category Climbs: 4
3rd Category Climbs:14

List of Stages

Stage 1ª 26/08 Saturday
Málaga - Málaga (C.R.E.) 7.2 km

Stage 2ª 27/08 Sunday
Málaga - Córdoba 167  km

Stage 3ª 28/08 Monday
Córdoba - Almendralejo 220  km

Stage 4ª 29/08 Tuesday
Almendralejo - Cáceres 142  km

Stage 5ª 30/08 Wednesday
Plasencia - Estación de Esquí La Covatilla (Béjar) 178  km

Stage 6ª 31/08 Thursday
Zamora - León 155  km

Stage 7ª 01/09 Friday
León - Alto de El Morredero (Ponferrada) 148  km

Stage 8ª 02/09 Saturday
Ponferrada - Lugo 173 km

Stage 9ª 03/09 Sunday
A Fonsagrada - Alto de La Cobertoria 206 km

04/09 Monday Rest Day

Stage 10ª 05/09 Tuesday
Avilés - Museo de Altamira (Santillana del Mar) 190 km

Stage 11ª 06/09 Wednesday
Torrelavega (Velódromo Oscar Freire) - Burgos 165 km

Stage 12ª 07/09 Thursday
Aranda de Duero - Guadalajara 162 km

Stage 13ª 08/09 Friday
Guadalajara - Cuenca 170 km

Stage 14ª 09/09 Saturday
Cuenca - Cuenca (C.R.I.) 33 km

Stage 15ª 10/09
Sunday Motilla del Palancar - Factoría Ford (Almussafes) 175 km

11/09 Monday Rest Day

Stage 16ª 12/09 Tuesday
Almería - Observatorio Astronómico de Calar Alto 145 km

Stage 17ª 13/09 Wednesday
Adra - Granada 167 km

Stage 18ª 14/09 Thursday
Granada - Sierra de la Pandera 153 km

Stage 19ª 15/09 Friday
Jaén - Ciudad Real 195 km

Stage 20ª 16/09 Saturday
Rivas Futura - Rivas Vaciamadrid (C.R.I.) 28 km

Stage 21ª 17/09 Sunday
Madrid - Madrid 150 km

Total: 3129.2

Mountain Stages

Stage 2
3rd Cat Alto de Casabermeja 530
3rd Cat Puerto de las Pedrizas 780

Stage 3
3rd Cat Alto de los Villares 600

Stage 5
1st Cat Puerto del Piornal 1.270
1st Cat Puerto de Honduras 1.430
2nd Cat Alto de Lagunilla 940
Hors Category Estación de Esquí La Covatilla 1.960

Stage 7
3rd Cat Puerto del Manzanal 1.230
1st Cat Alto de El Morredero 1.750

Stage 8
3rd Cat Alto de Noceda 470

Stage 9
1st Cat Puerto de Conio 1.315
1st Cat Puerto de Rañadoiro 1.181
3rd Cat Puerto del Cerredo 1.300
Spec. Puerto de San Lorenzo 1.350
1st Cat Alto de la Cobertoria 1.180

Stage 11
2nd Cat Puerto de Bruguia 720
1st Cat Puerto del Escudo 1.011
3rd Cat Puerto de Carrales 1.020

Stage 12
3rd Cat Puerto de la Quesera 1.340

Stage 13
3rd Cat Alto del Castillo 1.120

Stage 14
3rd Cat Alto del Castillo 1.120

Stage 15
3rd Cat Puerto de la Reina 600

Stage 16
1st Cat Alto de Velefique 1.800
1st Cat Alto de Calar Alto* 2.160 (Alberto Fernández's climb)
Hors Category Observatorio Astronom. de Calar Alto 2.090

Stage 17
2nd Cat Puerto de Albodón 1.100
3rd Cat Alto de Lanjarón 675
1st Cat Alto de Monachil 1.490

Stage 18
3rd Cat Alto de las Encebras 1.130
2nd Cat Alto de los Villares 1.200
Hors Category Sierra de la Pandera 1.840

Stage 19
3rd Cat Puerto de los Rehoyos 980