Coming the day after the first individual time trial, stage 11 finishes atop the Alto San Miguel.

The stage will mark only the second time in 20 years that the Vuelta has visited the Navarra region of Spain – previously rolling out of Pamplona in 2012.

The final climb, which covers just shy of ten kilometres ascending, is likely to be a punishing test of the rider’s legs after the race against the clock, with ramps as steep as 14 per cent in parts.

Alongside marking an iconic venture into the Basque Country, the stage could well be one which causes splits overall.

The Strava segment for the twisting final climb, which finishes at the Santuario San Miguel de Excelsis, covers 9.4 kilometres, at an average gradient of eight per cent.

The benchmark, of 32:32, was set earlier this year at an average speed of 17.4km/h and with an estimated power output of 291 watts.