Following the stages in the Valencia and Murcia Regions the riders enjoy their second rest day (Thursday 10th September), a well-deserved reward before facing the three Andalusian mountain stages. On Friday 11th September, the riders face a 179-kilometre stage which will start in the city of Almeria and finish on the summit of Velefique.
The stage includes three climbs worth mountain points: Velefique, Calar Alto, and Velefique, with cycling fans able to see the riders climb Velefique, included in the Vuelta for the first time, twice. We must forget that Calar Alto is a 26.7 km climb with an average gradient of 4.4% and stretches of 10%, nor that Velefique requires the cyclists to climb 13.3 kilometres at an average of 7.5%, with maximum gradients of 13%. This summit is new to the Vuelta and will guarantee spectacular racing in a stage that has over 3500 metres of accumulated climbing.
Previous editions: the Vuelta has a close relationship with the city of Almeria. It has hosted stage starts on 15 ocassions. The most stage to start from the city also included the clim of Calar Alto. This was during the 2006 edition, with victory going to Igor Antón. On the other hand, Velefique makes its debut in the history of the Vuelta.
