Vuelta 2018 Route stage 6: Huércal Overa – Mar Menor (San Javier)

Thursday, 30 augustus 2018 - With stage 6 the Vuelta a España will be leaving Andalusia for a day. The leg starts in Huércal-Overa and then travels north to San Javier for a flat finish near the famous Mar Menor salty lagoon in Murcia. The route amounts to 155.7 kilometres.

Stage 6 is a likely sprint stage. Which doesn't mean the route is entirely flat. En route the riders are to crest the Alto de Garrobillo and the Alto Cuesta de Cedacero, both 3rd category ascents.

The Garrobillo - 3.8 kilometres at 5.8 % with the last 2.8 kilometres at 7.9% - is crested with 98.4 kilometres remaining, while the Vuelta travels over the Cuesta de Cedacero some 50 kilometres before the finish. This climb is slightly longer than the previous one, it counts 5.2 kilometres and the average slope is 5.2%.

The 6th stage runs mostly along the coast. Shortly after the flag has been dropped the course heads to the Mediterranean Sea and the riders move through Aguilas, Mazarròn and port city Cartagena to Europe's largest salt water lagoon, Mar Menor. The last 15 kilometres of the route are entirely flat, so that's plenty of time for the sprint teams to organize their troops.

The arrival place lies 30 kilometres to the south of the Salinas of Torrevieja, where the Gran Salida of the 2019 Vuelta is set to take place.

The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint (at kilometre 118) comes with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.