Vuelta a España: Stage 5 preview

Logroño – Logroño

Distance: 172km
Highest point: 710m
Category: Rolling

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A chance for the sprinters
Due to the number of uphill finishes, there is little on the Vuelta route to get the sprinters’ competitive juices flowing, so those who do come to the race won’t want to miss out in Logroño. Although not flat by northern European standards, today’s parcours is about as straightforward as they come in this corner of Spain. Starting and finishing in Logroño, it takes place on a circuit just shy of 40km in length that will bring the field through the finish line three times. That will leave no one in any doubt of what to expect on the final sprint, which is situated at the end of a long and wide avenue.

Markel Irizar: "There’s uphill finishes either side of this stage so they’ve wisely made this one straightforward. I’m fairly sure this stage will finish with a bunch sprint, especially as many riders will be saving themselves for Jaca the next day."