There are two immediate goals: one is Toledo, the other is Madrid. Both are north east of where stage 751 begins, and between the stage and Toledo lies the finger like Cijara Reservoir, which stretches out for over thirty miles south east to north west, with just two crossing points, both of which lie behind a mountain range, which demands an up and over approach, but with more mountains lying in wait on the other side. Mark Beaumont took neither of them, nor is Around The World. As a result, this is another easterly stage, just as stage 752 is likely to be too, in order to be able to scoot around the eastern end of the reservoir before hanging a left and heading north to Toldeo. 751 is just a big lumpy beast. There are aren’t many climbs, but what there are, are big and challenging. The stage is a climber and it’s going to hurt.
The rollout on the N-430 is flat for two miles but that changes when the road meets EX-103 and BA-135 at a pair of roundabouts in the middle of nowhere. It’s where the road crosses the Arroyo del Puerto de los Carneros river and that marks the start of the first climb. The road swings right then left as it makes its way up the valley and it crosses the river again at five miles, close to its source.
Next up. near the top of the climb at six miles, is the Arroyo de Valdelimones. Off the top, as the N-430 weaves its way down the hill to the Arroyo de Valmayor at nine miles, it crosses a couple of streams that flow into it from the south. That’s followed by the Arroyo de los Jabalines just before the major intersection of the N-430 and the N-502 at ten miles. After the junction, the road tacks south east beneath yet another hill before arriving at the Arroyo de Navalmuchacho at the lowest point on the stage at twelve miles. Halfway up the climb that follows it, the road crosses the river at thirteen miles before peaking on a long right hander a mile later.
At the foot of the bend, at a separate intersection of the N-502 and the N-430, the two combine to become the N-430 as the route crosses the border from the Extremadura district into the Castile-la Mancha district. The highway rises steeply as it climbs its way up the hillside, snaking left and right as it does so, and the highest point on the stage is at the top of the climb at seventeen miles. That leaves just enough time and distance for one more descent to the Arroyo de los Quejigos, then the road follows the river and it climbs to the finish in the middle of nowhere halfway up the next hill.
Distance: 20 miles / 32 kilometres
Ascent: 1053 feet / 321 metres
RGT Magic Road: QRZIhOhnmXmP
Max elevation: 1911 ft
Min elevation: 1534 ft
Total climbing: 1054 ft
Total descent: -884 ft
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