Stage 16

The road

At the start

The last flat day of this Vuelta

The race has moved north to Cantabria for its final week, and today is the sprinters' last chance in it — this Vuelta ends with a time trial rather than a parade around Madrid. One third-category climb in 181 kilometres and two pan-flat closing kilometres at Santa Cruz de Bezana. Odd Christian Eiking has held red for a week now, 54 seconds up on Guillaume Martin and 1:36 on Roglič. Asturias starts tomorrow.

How it was won

1. 174 km to go

   The truce ends

   The only classified climb of the day breaks the peloton's control. Vanhoucke bridges across from Lotto Soudal to make a six-rider move, and the sense is that more will come.

2. 250 km to go

   UAE come for Jakobsen

   On a second, uncategorised climb the pace is deliberately lifted to hurt the sprinters — and it works, dropping the green jersey. He chases back on, and the moment he does the sprint teams simply ease and start thinking about the finish.

3. 3At the line

   A birthday in Santa Cruz de Bezana

   Jakobsen loses his lead-out in a snaking final kilometre, holds his position anyway, picks the right lines through the late curves and opens his sprint at exactly the right moment. A year ago he was in hospital; today, on his 25th birthday, he wins his third stage of this Vuelta.

The result