Ponteareas – Sanxenxo

Distance: 166.4km
Highest point: 414m
Category: Flat

As flat as Spain gets
Sitting between the first rest day and the race’s only individual time trial, this is one of the route’s easiest days. Starting in Ponteareas, which hosted its first Vuelta stage start last year, the riders will head over the only categorised climb of the day after 30km. The route then sticks close to the sea, climbing over some headlands before a run in to the finish. The sprinters will naturally fancy this one but any breakaway riders should have a good chance of battling it out between them as plenty of riders will be holding back for the time trial. The wind could be a key factor, too, given the proximity to the Atlantic.

Abraham Olano: "This is one of the most beautiful stages of the race. It runs along the Galician coast and should provide some spectacular views. It should be one for the sprinters but it’s best described as ‘rompepiernas’ – a real leg-breaker of a day."