The steepest summit finish of the race. La Pandera is a Vuelta institution, a narrow military road above Jaén whose closing kilometres repeatedly hit double-figure gradients, and here it caps a stage carrying 3,500 metres of climbing with a final ascent of 12.6 km at 7.1%. Jaén sits at the centre of the largest olive-growing region in the world and the race crosses it before turning uphill. This is a pure climbers' finish, decided by gradient rather than tactics, and anyone with designs on the red jersey needs to be at the front when the road tilts.