Stage 21: Padrón - Santiago de Compostela
Date: September 5, 2021
Distance: 33.8km
Stage timing: 16:29 - 20:31 CEST
Stage type: ITT
Vuelta a España stage 21 preview video
The Vuelta concludes with a 33.8km individual time trial between Padrón and Santiago de Compostela, the course similar, though 10km shorter, to the 1993 race-concluding test between the same two towns that was won by Switzerland’s Alex Zülle.
From the start, the course heads north-west to Carrais and onto the test’s most significant section of climbing, the gradient rising steadily through some tight turns. The first intermediate checkpoint is located at the 13km mark, the road climbing a little more beyond it.
The descent is slightly steeper and quite technical, with some sharp bends to negotiate heading through Gundín, Algueidon and Bertamiráns. The second intermediate checkpoint lies just past this village, the course climbing again as it passes through Roxos and enters Santiago de Compostela from the west, the final kilometres twisting upwards through the city to reach the Plaza de Obraidoro in the front of the magnificent cathedral that’s a magnet for pilgrims.
The first rider is due to start at 4:30 p.m. (CEDT) local time and the last man will head down the start ramp at 7:49 p.m. local time. The 33.8km route is scheduled to take about 40 minutes for the fastest riders to complete.
-
Flat-bars or drop-bars at Leadville Trail 100 MTB? This high-altitude endurance race doesn't have a handlebar problem, it has an identity crisis
'Courses dictate our equipment choices' as Lauren De Crescenzo and other riders dissect the 100 miles of Leadville regarding safety issues, equipment setups and a solution -
'You need to use every opportunity' - FDJ United-SUEZ forced to get creative without a top sprinter at the UAE Tour Women
'It was a good start into the season, even though we didn't have the result' newest recruit Franziska Koch on competing with the world's top-ranked team -
How to watch 2026 pro cycling in the US – A streaming guide for global races
FloBikes, HBO Max and Peacock offer options for women's and men's WorldTour races as new season gets underway in Europe and other regions -
Maggie Coles-Lyster 'fired up' after finishing a close fourth on the opening stage of the UAE Tour Women
The Canadian sprinter is on the comeback trail after surgery for iliac artery endofibrosis
