There are two Category 3 climbs in the closing kilometres of today’s stage, the first, the Alto del Berra, crested 39 kilometres from the finish ahead of the first passage of the finish line in Totana. From there, the riders head up the Alto de la Santa, whose summit is just 12 kilometres from the line, so if there is a break, it may be a tough job to bring it back by the finish. The roads today will be familiar to those who have raced in the early-seaon Tour of Murcia.

GT’s tips

“There could be a break that is difficult to bring back, or someone could go on the attack from the group on that last climb, so if the sprinters’ teams let them go by more than 30 seconds it could be easy for someone to chip away and stay clear till the finish. That’s a bit of an outside bet though, the wind may play a part but I think it will probably be a sprint, although it could be an exciting last few kilometres.”

To find out more about Geraint Thomas visit his website at www.geraintthomas.com