Three years since the Vuelta a Espana last started in Galicia, the area looks likely to host the start around August 20 next year. The race will kick off in the province of Ourense, and then go on to visit all three of the other Galician provinces, meaning it will spend at least four stages in the region.

The race will start off with another team time trial, making it six years in a row the race has done that, since 2009 started with a prologue. Unlike in 2015, race director Javier Guillen says all of the race will be on tarmac.

“All of it will be on tarmac”, race director Javier Guillen said on Friday morning, in an ironic reference to the route surfaces for the opening team time trial in Porto Banus this August, which featured sand.

That was all he would give away, although there are rumours the race may feature stages in the Pyrenees and Basque Country.