So, going through the route...
We already knew the first three stages, I'm going to take this opportunity to complain about the TTT again, though. I really could do with my country hosting 0 GT starts for at least a decade.
Stages 4 and 5 are decent, both have a strong chance of being reduced bunch sprints though. In fact, that's what happened on the previous double Vivero stage.
Stage 6 is good as a first mountain stage, no complaints there.
Stage 7 at least has potential to be something, could also be a freebie for the breakaway though.
The Asturian mountain stages are terrible. First of all the MTFs are in the wrong order, moreover the run-in for Fancuaya in particular is laughable, a running theme for this year's race, more so than usual.
Normally I'd complain about the TT being too short if it's the only one and just 30 kilometres, in this case it isn't even that disbalanced which really says it all.
Valverde's farewell and the only inclusion of Murcia comes as the start of the easiest stage between the Netherlands and Madrid, I don't even like the guy but that's just shameful.
I don't mind the Peñas Blancas stage in isolation but unipuerto MTFs not followed by GC days are lame.
Then another day with no categorised climbing, at this point everyone will have fallen asleep and there's more bad stuff to come. Maaaybe there's some decent ramps hidden in the false-flat to the finish?
The laziest set of mountain stages ever in the third weekend, Unipublic have evidently tried to break the record for least climbing in the first half of a week of GT stages. Still, Sierra Nevada should be decent.
Another day without any categorised climbing to open the third week, if they replicate the 2017 finish at least the end might be spicy.
The Tentudía stage is a waste, breakaway with sprint of the elites 15 minutes behind.
The Piornal stage the day after makes for the least GC-relevant back-to-back MTFs in history, a murito midway before two mid-length low-gradient non-altitude climbs is almost useless.
The Talavera stage is very random and again very breakaway-friendly.
The Navacerrada stage is actually good tbh.
The Madrid parade is the sixth stage with no categorised climbing. Let that sink in.
All in all, this route takes the main flaws of the Vuelta and makes them the centerpiece of the design while removing the things this race used to be good at and ignoring the best parts of this year's race. 2/10, a contender for the worst GT route of the 21st century. Guillen and co need to go.
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