The peloton will tackle a 179.5km medium mountains stage 18 from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Maestu-Parque Natural de Izki at the Vuelta a España that could offer an opportunity for the general classification contenders to either gain or pull back time in the GC standings.
Only five seconds separate the current leader Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), from runner-up Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). Therefore, the mid-race 'sprint' for time bonuses located at the top of the category 1 Puerto Herrera combined with a short but steep hill positioned at 5km to the finish, could bring Roglič even closer to the red jersey.
