The stage will travel along the Basque coast from San Sebastian to Bilbao. While there are no major climbs, the course is more difficult than it appears with short but steep climbs that will fatigue the cyclists before the final climbs of Sollube and Vivero, both over 8% gradient on average. The stage winner will be decided during the ascent of Vivero as those with the most strength left will best handle its slopes. The neutral start is at 13:00 in Hernani with 3.9 km of neutralized riding before the official start.