The flattest stage of the Vuelta, under 500 metres of climbing across 185 km of the Guadalquivir plain. It finishes in Seville, where the cathedral is the largest Gothic church in the world and the Giralda beside it began as the minaret of the mosque that once stood on the site. Nothing in the parcours can prevent a bunch sprint, and with so few opportunities in this race the sprinters' teams will make certain of one. Early September heat in Seville is the hardest part of the day. For the general classification it is a rest day in all but name, with the time trial waiting tomorrow.