2016 Vuelta a España, stage 14, Urdax-Dantxarinea – Aubisque-Gourette (France), 196km
The 2016 edition of La Vuelta a España has been epic to say the least. Lotto – Soudal rider Maxime Monfort called it “the hardest grand tour I’ve ever done.” Week one was 10 stages long with the first rest day sandwiched between brutal mountaintop finishes. Week two escalated in the Pyrénees from the Basque country into France. The mountain ranges were stupendous and the days were an onslaught of grueling heat and sun. Stage 14 culminated on the Aubisque, four kilometers above Gourette.
By the time we arrived at the summit there was little cellphone service so following the race action was challenging. Jim was stationed up at the finish line, while I planned to shoot the action in the big corner within the 1km marker. We had recalled the Aubisque from previous editions of the Tour de France and thought that would be an ideal spot; but once we arrived and saw the last kilometer lined with barriers, I decided to walk farther down. As I descended between 1-2 kilometers I tried several different spots, considering which way the riders would be facing as they climbed, the angle of the light and shadows on their faces, the panorama behind them, whether the shot showcased the grandeur of the climb and the mountain ranges, or whether it sacrificed it.
Ultimately, I chose a nondescript section of road above the dramatic hairpin at 2km to go, where I saw some of our colleagues stopped and below the final turns into the last kilometer. My section of road was not narrow or steep, but it had some advantages: no barriers, lined with fans (not too few and not too many!), a sweeping vista, a good mix of light and shadow without being too sunny, riders facing into the camera and not away, captured the drive-side, and a bonus overhead shot of the riders cresting around the hairpin approach below me.
By the time I was set up, I didn’t know if there was still something left of the original break, if a new escape had formed, or if the GC leaders had caught them. I flagged down a Spanish colleague on a motorbike whizzing by to ask if there were still “escapados” in the lead. All he said was “yes” as he zoomed up to the finish.
At this point, my motivation was just to nail my shots and come away with a good day — lord knows there are enough bad days in a grand tour with missed shots, camera settings failure, motorbikes obstructing your shot, fans running in front of you at just the wrong moment, bad lighting — but you also secretly hope that the best shots you get are the winners of the day and the race leaders and the ones you need for the clients.
Because I had the overhead angle, I could see Robert Gesink (LottoNL – Jumbo) and Kenny Elissonde (FDJ) round the corner so I knew who I would be shooting first. But most of the time they come around the corner blind, and you are just guessing. Gesink had made a spectacular effort on the climb up to Lagos de Covadonga the week before so it was thrilling to see him so strong on the Aubisque. And Elissonde was tenaciously latched to his wheel. The shot worked because of all the elements in play and because I had no bad luck and, even better, because Gesink won the stage.
Key image specs:
Canon 1DX
Canon 24-70mm f2.8L II USM
Focal Length: 24mm
1/1250 sec @ f/3.2 ISO 200
File format: RAW
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