Mountainous Vuelta a Espana route unveiled for 2016

The 2016 Vuelta a Espana will be one for the climbers after organisers released a route including 12 mountain stages and 10 summit finishes across the three-week race.

Northern Spain will host the majority of the Grand Tour with 15 of the 21 stages taking place across the regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Navarra, Aragon and the Basque Country.

The 3277-kilometre race begins on August 20 in Laias, Ourense, with a team time trial before winding its way across the top of the country, with a brief trip into the Pyrenees and a short jaunt to Aubisque in France.

Valencia and Alicante host the final week of the race – which includes an individual time trial in Calpe – before the traditional finish in Madrid.

Stage 11 from Lastres to Pena Cabarga will be fairly flat for the majority of the 168.8km, before a summit finish after a category one climb.

Meanwhile stage 14 will be a gruelling day in the saddle, the peloton facing three category one ascents before the iconic Tour de France climb up Col d'Aubisque.