The most important information about the 16th stage of the Vuelta a España 2025
- Tuesday, 9 September: Poio - Mos. Castro de Herville
- Length: 167.9 kilometres (mountainous)
- Altitude metres: 3472
- Sharp start: 13:12
- Arrival at the finish: ~17:17-17:44
- TV broadcast: from 14:30 Eurosport 1
- Live stream: Discovery Plus (fee required)
- All stages of the Vuelta a España 2025 at a glance
- The start list
- To the Vuelta live ticker
Route of the 16th stage of the Tour of Spain 2025
The 16th stage starts in Poio on the Spanish west coast, from where the riders will initially find a relatively flat terrain. The first 74 kilometres do not present any major difficulties before the first categorised climb of the day, the Alto de San Antoniño. This climb stretches over nine kilometres with an average gradient of four per cent. After crossing this first obstacle, the riders will have completed about half of the stage, but the most demanding part still awaits the peloton.
The Alto de Groba is an 11.3-kilometre climb with an average gradient of 5.4 per cent. The first five kilometres are particularly tough with an average gradient of 6.6 per cent. After the crossing, a fast descent follows, which is interrupted by a few short climbs. The route then leads out of the valley over a 3.2 kilometre section with a gradient of 6.9 per cent. After a descent, the riders reach the foot of the Alto de Prado. This 4.3 kilometre climb with an average gradient of 8.9 per cent marks the third mountain classification of the day. After crossing it, there are still around 25 kilometres to the finish. The majority of this stretch is downhill, but is interrupted by a short counter-climb.
The finale of the stage is the climb to Castro de Herville, a viewpoint overlooking the bay of Vigo. The 8.2 kilometre long final climb has an average gradient of 5.2 per cent, with the first three kilometres posing the greatest challenge with gradients of over 10 per cent. This is where the day's victory is likely to be decided.
Sporting assessment of the 16th stage of the Vuelta a España 2025
With its mountainous profile and four categorised climbs, the 16th stage of the Vuelta 2025 offers terrain that opens up opportunities for both breakaway riders and the classification riders. The constant ups and downs, especially in the second half of the stage, make it difficult for the peloton to control a breakaway group.
For the general classification riders, the final climb to Castro de Herville with its steep first kilometres offers an ideal platform for attacks. At the same time, strong climbers who are no longer fighting for the overall classification could also seek their chance in an escape group. In view of the demanding profile and the positioning after the second rest day, this stage is likely to be an important factor in the battle for the red jersey.
Leon Weidner
Working student
