An intriguing, top-heavy Vuelta a Espana route will see Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali renew their Tour de France rivalry – with a brutally lumpy opening fortnight on the cards.

Tour de France winner Froome, runner-up Quintana, third-placed Alejandro Valverde and Astana’s Giro d’Italia podium finishers Fabio Aru and Mikel Landa, alongside Nibali, are all among the contenders for overall supremacy.

And though the course lacks any of the Spanish Grand Tour’s iconic climbs, every major summit finish of this year’s race come before the second rest day.

A long time trial then awaits in the final week, which could suit Froome if he is still in contention – the race against the clock being the stand-out and potentially decisive stage of that final run-in to the traditional Madrid finale.

Defending champion Alberto Contador will not start the race, with his Giro d’Italia victory and Tour de France fifth place already behind him, but the battle for the red jersey is still likely to be a fierce one.

The Pyrenees return, with a potentially pivotal stage in Andorra at the half-way point, and the unfamiliar, tricky summit finishes are likely to play a huge role in a race which rolls out of Portobanus on Saturday August 22.

So where will this year’s race be won or lost? We’ve picked out five key stages over the following pages.