Monte Oiz

The Monte Oiz is a col with a length of 8.2 kilometer. This is a highest category (HC) col. It is located in Munitibar-Arbatzegi Gerrikaitz, País Vasco, Spain. The average grade of this col is 9.6% with a maximum of 16.2%. The Monte Oiz ascents from 218 meter at the start, to 1.006 meter at the top, with a total of 787 ascending meters.

Description

Monte Oiz is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.026 m above the sea level, located in Biscay in the Basque Country. Monte Oiz, in the Balcon de Bizkaia nature reserve, is such a terrible track with a gradient of more than 20% which Vuelta organizer Javier Guillén prefers. The climb is known for its half-asphalt, half-concrete surface and its irregular ramps. Although this mountain has many myths since prehistoric times when shepherds lived here in the caves, it is above all a mountain that sows death and destruction. In 1985, a domestic flight from Iberia from Madrid to Bilbao hit the television mast at the top of the mountain, after which the plane crashed and all 148 occupants were killed.

A row of wind mills is the particular feature of the summit of Mount Oiz, the unprecedented ascent that is the final high point of the 17th stage of the 2018 Vuelta. From the ascent, which starts in the municipality of Munitibar, most of the 8.2 kilometres (at 9.6%) are made up of forests, but in the latter the vegetation opens up, allowing you to enjoy a spectacular view with the Cantabrian Sea in the background. There is a reason why the so-called Balcony of Bizkaia, which gives the official name to the ascent, is located on this mountain.

- Vuelta a Espana 2018 - Stage 17 (finish in the Vuelta 800 meters before the top) - Michael Woods

Nearby Cols