Page Contributor(s): Photos: ASO / Unipublic / Cxcling / Antonio Baixauli / Cxcling Creative Agency ©
INTRO
Stage 18 is the Vuelta's second individual time trial, a flat 32 km test through Andalusia's sherry triangle, starting at El Puerto de Santa María's bullring and finishing in the heart of Jerez de la Frontera. With no categorized climbs and a fast, largely straight layout, this is pure power terrain — a day where aerodynamics, pacing discipline, and raw watts will shuffle the general classification more than any single stage since the opening time trial.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. There's no meaningful elevation change across the entire 32 km route — this is a completely flat time trial through the low-lying plains between El Puerto de Santa María and Jerez. A handful of roundabouts require brief power surges to maintain speed, but otherwise it's a straight, uninterrupted effort with nothing to break rhythm.
Wide, smooth regional roads connect El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez via El Portal and Estella del Marqués, with several roundabouts requiring careful line choice at race speed. The finishing kilometers into Jerez run through wider avenues well-suited to the high speeds of a time trial. Road closures will be extensive along the entire course for the duration of the stage, given the rolling-start format.
This is textbook time trial territory — a dedicated TT bike, deep-section wheels, and an aggressive aero position matter far more than gearing here. A standard big-ring setup with a tight-range cassette will cover the flat, fast profile with no need for climbing gears at all.
Jerez de la Frontera is famous worldwide for sherry production and flamenco heritage, with plenty of bodega tours and lodging options. El Puerto de Santa María offers its own sherry bodegas plus beaches along the Bay of Cádiz. Jerez has its own airport with regional connections, while Sevilla's larger airport is under an hour away for international travel.
ROUTE MAP
