A surprisingly tough stage, there's something for everyone, including three intermediate sprints, a cat 3 and a cat 1 climb to the finish in Valdelinares, plus two cat 2 climbs - the Alto de San Rafael and Puerto el Cubillo. It's difficult to tell who could benefit from this stage, but there may be an early move by one of the GC favourites. The Vuelta moves up from the south during stage 6, and temperatures should be a little more comfortable for riders which may be some reward for reaching the first of the bigger climbs.
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