Arnuero > Santander 142km Could this be a sprint? Visma rode all day on Saturday, only to get jumped on the line by Kaden Groves, but without Van Aert they won’t be chasing this break. Okay, there’s two very hard climbs in this stage, but the last one crests halfway in the stage, still with 71km to go. That’s plenty time to pull back the break, but it all depends on how strong it is. Will Alpecin, DSM and Israel be able to set up a sprint.

Luanco > Lagos de Covadonga 181km Another big day in the fight for the red jersey. Sunday was a revealing day, Roglič was good, but not exceptional. Mas was back to his best, Skjelmose continues to grow, and we have a very resilient, Ben O’Connor, still in the lead. Roglič then got a deserved 20 second penalty for drafting in the cars, which keeps things nice and interesting at the top of the standings. This stage has three big climbs to deal with, with the finish at Covadonga, scene of one of the best ever Roglič performances, what he’d give...

Infiesto > Cuitu Negro 143km Another big day in the battle for the red jersey, it’s also an important one for the KOM competition too. The stage finishes with the brutal, Cuitu Negru, I remember it from 2012. That day, Dario Cataldo beat Thomas De Gendt, both riders were close to coming to a standstill at points. After what Roglič did on Friday, all eyes will be on him and Red Bull, there’s a chance he ends the day in red.

Villafranca del Bierzo > Villablino 201km Well then, Primož smashed everyone and now looks great for the red jersey, but due to lingering doubts over his back, he won’t be taking anything for granted. Ben O’Connor is still in the race lead, but his gap to Roglič is down to just 1:21. Remember, Ben started this race with a focus on finishing on the podium in Madrid, that goal is still alive and well, he leads the rest by 3 minutes. He knows that Roglič is coming for him, but he’ll continue to ride his own race and hope to...

Lugo > Puerto de Ancares 176km The race returns to Puerto de Ancares for the first time in 10 years. Back then, it was Alberto Contador taking the win, 2 years earlier, Purito Rodríguez was the champ. The climb is a classic Vuelta hill, steep as fuck. 5.5km at 11.4% is brutal, it will be a real test for all the GC riders and there should be gaps at the end.

Orense > Manzaneda 137km Anyone else fancy a GC day? I do, but I don’t know if we’re going to get it. Just one categorised climb in a stage with 3470m of climbing is quite cruel, especially when the stage is only 137km in length. Despite looking “easy”, this can be a hard stage if the GC teams want it to be. After taking nearly 40s to O’Connor today, Red Bull will smell blood.

Cortizo > Cortizo 166km It’s the muro stage, you little beauty. Most in the bunch will be hoping the break rolls off the front of the peloton, but after what happened today, that’s unlikely to happen. It’s going to be another crazy start with the vast majority trying to get in the break.

Ponteareas > Baiona 160km After a flight up to the Galicia, one where lots of riders were wearing masks, the riders reconvene for the 2ndweek of the race. The opening week was a belter, no one would have predicted the current top 10, and week 2 lots set to dish up exciting racing. Stage 10 looks like a day for the breakaway, but it all depends on who ends up getting away. Both Ben O’Connor and Adam Yates have taken big time in breaks, will something similar happen again?

Motril > Granada 178km The Queen stage of the Vuelta, a hellish day in the hills of Sierra Nevada. This day has 4574m of climbing, which is huge, and it features two well-known climbs. Given what happened the other day, the big GC teams need to try and put AG2R and O’Connor under pressure, time needs to be taken back. Of course, it’s not just about Roglič and O’Connor, this stage will show who’ll be fighting for red over the next 2 weeks.

Plouay > Plouay 260km The 88th edition of the Bretagne Classic (GP Plouay), a race that always delivers an exciting day out. 260km and almost 4100m of climbing, this is one of the hardest one-day races on the calendar, I’m always amazed at how many times it ends in a sprint. Last year it didn’t, will it happen this time round?