Stage 3 Lousã - Castelo Branco (191.2km)
The third stage of the Vuelta is the last one on Portuguese soil, but it marks the first time serious elevation changes occur in this Vuelta. However, it remains to be seen whether there will be any significant time differences between the general classification riders over the 182 kilometers between Lousã and Castelo Branco, as the last fifty kilometers are almost entirely flat.
The stage starts on Monday in Lousã, a small village in Coimbra without many notable features. From Lousã, the peloton heads towards the highest mountain range on the Portuguese mainland: the Serra da Estrela. True fireworks are unlikely to happen here.
Although the highest peak of this range is nearly 2000 meters, on Monday the peloton will climb 'only' to a height of almost 900 meters to the Alto de Teixeira. This climb has been designated as a second-category climb and is the toughest obstacle of the day. After this, there are still a hundred relatively easy kilometers to the finish in Castelo Branco, with only the long but not very steep Alto de Alpedrinha remaining.
After this climb, it's about an hour to the finish in Castelo Branco and the final farewell to Portugal. On Tuesday, the stage will start again in Spain, and the peloton will head towards Andalusia, where there will certainly be no sprinting.
| Date | Monday 19 August |
| Start |  Lousã |
| Finish | Castelo Branco |
| Distance | 191.2 km |
| Start time | 11:50 |
| Expected finish | 16:18 |
Stage 3 Lousã - Castelo Branco (191.2km)
The third stage of the Vuelta is the last one on Portuguese soil, but it marks the first time serious elevation changes occur in this Vuelta. However, it remains to be seen whether there will be any significant time differences between the general classification riders over the 182 kilometers between Lousã and Castelo Branco, as the last fifty kilometers are almost entirely flat.
The stage starts on Monday in Lousã, a small village in Coimbra without many notable features. From Lousã, the peloton heads towards the highest mountain range on the Portuguese mainland: the Serra da Estrela. True fireworks are unlikely to happen here.
Although the highest peak of this range is nearly 2000 meters, on Monday the peloton will climb 'only' to a height of almost 900 meters to the Alto de Teixeira. This climb has been designated as a second-category climb and is the toughest obstacle of the day. After this, there are still a hundred relatively easy kilometers to the finish in Castelo Branco, with only the long but not very steep Alto de Alpedrinha remaining.
After this climb, it's about an hour to the finish in Castelo Branco and the final farewell to Portugal. On Tuesday, the stage will start again in Spain, and the peloton will head towards Andalusia, where there will certainly be no sprinting.