The longest stage of the race, 210 km along the Costa del Sol before it turns abruptly upward. The first 190 km are close to flat and run within sight of the sea, and then the road climbs for the final 19 km to Peñas Blancas above Estepona at an average of 6.6%, gaining almost 1,250 metres from sea level. A finish shaped like that punishes anyone who has misjudged their effort in the heat of the coastal run, and after eighteen days of racing a long, unrelenting climb is more dangerous than a shorter, steeper one.