Friday’s stage 7 is a hilly 180.5km from Archidona to Córdoba with a single intermediate sprint and a lone classified climb. That one climb is appropriately called ‘Alto del 14%’ for the sharp pitches of 14% on the 7.4km ascent, which then launches riders for a short return to Córdoba.
The stage begins for the first time in Archidona, located just 65km from the Mediterranean coast and known for its many white buildings, painted in typical Andalusian style. From the Provence of Málaga in southern Spain, the route leads north all day on undulating terrain, nothing serious except high temperatures.
The capital city of the Province of Córdoba will see the peloton pass twice. A finish loop leads the way to bonus points on offer for the day - first for sprinters 6km into the circuit and then the lone classified climb at Alto Del 14%, from the crest just 25.5km to the fast finish.
Once passing across the Guadalquivir River on the return trip into Córdoba, only 3.5km remain. The peloton will take a sharp left turn onto Avenue de Cádiz for almost 2km before passing through a large roundabout. Then the riders make one more pass back over the river and that is where the red kite signals the final kilometre of racing on Avenida Vallellano with the finish next to the Vallellano Gardens.
The last time the Vuelta ended in Cordoba was 2021, where Magnus Cort won his second stage of the three-week race in a reduced bunch sprint. Expect to see Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) continue to battle for the green jersey ahead of a weekend of major climbs, including a double ascent of the Alto de Hazallanas on Sunday.
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