Stage 16: Sanlúcar de Barrameda – Tomares, 189.4km
Yes, the sprinters should be favored, but it’s also one of the last chances for teams that haven’t won any stages.
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The third rest day of the race will give pause to a wearying peloton prior to a day for the sprinters. Those riders have just one more chance after this one, the final stage in Madrid, and so the pressure will be on for them to deliver.
Start location Sanlúcar de Barrameda is featured as a commemoration of sailor Juan Sebastián Elcano, who became the first person in history to circumnavigate the globe in landing there 500 years ago. It hosts the Vuelta for the first time, while Tomares had one previous finish in 2017 when Matteo Trentin triumphed.
The 188.9 km stage is practically pan flat, although there is an uncategorized short, steep climb approximately 10 km from the finish line. The last three kilometers rise slightly, but nothing that will give the sprinters a restless night beforehand.