The Angliru - pro cycling's toughest climb? - set to feature in 2020 Vuelta (+ video of Contador's swansong win))

The Angliru​ – considered by many to be the toughest climb in professional cycling – will feature in next year’s Vuelta a España, according to Spanish sports daily, Marca.

Last time the climb in Asturias featured in the race, 2017, it came on the penultimate day and provided an explosive and memorable finale to the race.

On that day, Chris Froome sealed his overall victory ahead of the final day’s procession into Madrid, while Alberto Contador brought the curtain down on his career with a stunning stage win.

If confirmed, it would be the eighth time the Angliru – 12.6 kilometres long, and with ramps of up to 20 per cent – has featured in the race since it was first included in 1999.

The full route of next year’s race, the 75th edition, will be revealed next month in Madrid, but we do know that for the second time in its history, it will start in The Netherlands with Utrecht becoming the first city to have hosted all three Grand Tours.

Once back on home soil, if rumours are to be believed the race will cross into France with the riders tackling the Col du Tourmalet, where Thibaut Pinot won Stage 14 of this year’s Tour de France.

If that is true, then the Angliru looks set to figure at the end of the third week – but with oganisers Unipublic also rumoured to be looking at introducing another Asturian climb, the Farrapona, for the first time, it is unclear which would be the final mountain stage.