The Almería desert
From Vera the peloton crosses the moonscape of Almería toward two of the most storied climbs in Vuelta history: the first-category Alto de Velefique and, after a short descent, the summit finish at Calar Alto above 2,100 metres.
Where the Vuelta has been decided before
The Velefique–Calar Alto combination has produced major GC gaps before. With the observatory in sight, this could be where the first real time gaps of this Vuelta appear.