The opening road stage of the Vuelta begins west of Lisbon in the surfer’s paradise of Cascais. After hugging the coast in the opening kilometres, the course winds inland for the category 4 Alto do Lagoa Azul before passing through the striking hilltop town of Sintra, dubbed a “glorious Eden” by Lord Byron.
The 194km stage follows a largely flat route thereafter, but the sprinters might be denied at the last. The category 4 Alto da Batalha comes just under 20km from the finish in Ourém and provides an obvious springboard for late attackers.
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