The final Grand Tour of the 2018 season kicks off on Saturday, August 25 with the Vuelta a España's opening stage in Malaga. It is the first individual time trial start for the Spanish race in nine years.
Riders will tackle a flat but technical eight-km circuit along the Costa del Sol, which should not see big gaps in the general classification, but it will establish the first leader of the race. The technically 'flat' second stage has a punchy uphill finish that may not open too many gaps between the overall contenders, but favours the climbers. Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott) won here in 2015.
The race hits the mountains in the first week, with the category 1 Puerto del Madrono early on stage 3 serving as a warm-up before the first major summit finish on the Puerto de Alfacar on stage 4 separates the contenders from the pretenders.
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The next three stages are flat, but the sweltering heat and possible crosswinds will make for some uncomfortable days on the bike heading up through Andalucia. The mountains return on stage 9 with a 200km slog through the mountains of Castilla y Leon finishing at the ski station of La Covatilla – the first 'especial' category summit finish of the race, and one that's sure to establish the GC pecking order.
After the first rest day, the peloton must make its way through the rugged hills of Galicia before a triple summit finish stretch – first on stage 13 up the Alto de la Camperona, then the Alto les Praeres, followed by the hors-catégorie Lagos de Covadonga on stage 15. The series of steep summit finales will be a sting in the legs before the well deserved second rest day.
The 32km individual time trial after the rest day in Santander will further widen the GC gaps, setting up the fireworks for the last mountain stages – the explosive Balcón de Bizkaia with its wickedly steep ramps on stage 17 and the lengthy high-altitude Andorran ascent to Coll de la Rabassa on stage 19.
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