Stage 16: Sanlúcar de Barrameda - Tomares
Distance: 189.4km
Stage timing: 12:45-17:30 CET
Stage type: Flat
The final week kicks off with a flat stage and a last chance for the sprinters ahead of a series of hilly stages they'll have to negotiate before their final hurrah in Madrid.
The 189.4km stage starts out in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, part of the famous 'sherry triangle' of south west Spain and home of the Manzanilla variety of crisp dry wine that's drunk cold by the sea. The flat route heads up and around Seville but doesn't delve into Andalucía's biggest city, instead heading for a finish in the more forgettable suburb of Tomares.
There are no categorised climbs but there's no easy day for sprinters at the Vuelta and they'll have to negotiate a small rise in the final 10km before a brief kicker with 3km to go and finally a 1500-metre drag to the line.
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