Stage 7: Almendralejo to Mairena de Alijarafe, 195.5km, rolling

It’s another hot and fast stage for the sprinters – and one of the longest in this year’s Vuelta. They will want to make the most of it today because the next three days are all summit finishes.

The stage is a bit lumpy in the first half before one last sharp bit around the 125km mark. From then on, it’s downhill or (for the most part) flat into the finish. In fact, other than the final stage in Madrid, this is as flat as it gets. The peloton takes a loop around the beautiful city of Seville before the lead-out trains crank up the speed for the finish in Mairena de Aljarafe.

Unlike the last few days, there’s no long uphill drag to the finish although there are some tricky roundabouts that have to be taken the long way round, not least a long hairpin turn just inside 5km. If the trains can negotiate those without incident, the final 800 metres is a gently curving straight to tee up the final gallop.

Link: Official site

Header image: Ceiling of the Hall of the Ambassadors in the Alcazar of Seville.