In the last stage before the first rest day, the second real mountain stage of the Vuelta is on the agenda. Covering 178 kilometers, the riders travel from Motril to Granada. This is the final stage in Andalusia before the riders move on to Galicia.

This mountain stage includes a total of three first-category climbs and reaches an altitude of nearly 1700 meters twice. The challenge of the stage lies mainly in the second half, as the first eighty kilometers are relatively mild. However, starting from Motril, which is close to the Spanish coast, the riders climb to an altitude of eight hundred meters in the first eighty kilometers.

These are not the most difficult kilometers in this Vuelta, but a breakaway will have ample opportunity to build a lead over the peloton. For instance, early in the stage, there is a climb to Lanjarón, gaining almost 350 meters in altitude over seven kilometers. Shortly after, there are more elevation gains heading towards Padul.

These climbs are minor compared to the three first-category climbs that follow. After 88 kilometers, the riders reach the top of the Puerto de El Purche (8.8 km at 7.7%). At this point, no more than forty riders are likely to remain in the peloton.

In the last seventy kilometers, the riders face the Alto de Hazallanas twice. This climb is the real deal, with an average gradient of 9.2 percent over 7.5 kilometers. It is at its toughest midway, with sections reaching gradients of up to twenty percent and sustained averages well above ten percent.

This climb has been featured in the Vuelta before: Thymen Arensman won on the Alto de Hoya de la Mora in 2022, with the first ten kilometers following the road of the Alto de Hazallanas. Miguel Ángel López and Chris Horner had also triumphed on this climb in previous years.

After the final ascent of the Alto de Hazallanas, there are still fifty kilometers to the finish in Granada. This long stretch provides an opportunity for dropped riders to regain contact. Significant time gaps can potentially be created in this stage.

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