Lot of cycling fans have sweet memories from the Vuelta a Espana's return to the Basque city of Bilbao in 2011. Organizers Unipublic and director Javier Guillen have always wanted to go back and will do so in 2016. Bilbao will host the stage finish on September 1.

According to El Correo, "negotiations have intensified from September until now and the deal is almost done." The 12th stage of the Vuelta will start in Corrales de Buelna and finish in Bilbao. Unipublic "has virtually finalized the profile of the stage."

The Vuelta hadn't visited Bilbao since 1978 when it returned in 2011. It was a fantastic day for the local fans as Igor Anton took the win after two passages of El Vivero where Chris Froome failed to drop Juanjo Cobo in front of a massive crowed. This year the Spanish race visited the Basque city of Vitoria and next year it will pass through Bilbao and Bizkaia.

Guillen wanted to go back and has always insisted. "During the month of September, since the start of the stage in Vitoria, Unipublic maintained contact with representatives of the city of Bilbao. The agreement began to take shape," El Correo reports.

The race will arrive in Bilbao after the start with six stages in Galicia six and summit finishes Ézaro (3rd), San Andrés de Teixido (4th), Camperona (8th), Naranco (9th), Lagos de Covadonga (10th) and Peña Cabarga (11th).

Course:
August 20. Stage 1: Balneario Laias (Cenlle, Ourense) - Nautical Park Castrelo de Miño (Ourense), 28 km TTT
August 21. Stage 2: Ourense - Pontevedra 
August 22. Stage 3: Marin (Pontevedra) - Mirador Ézaro (A Coruña) 
August 23. Stage 4: Betanzos (A Coruña) - San Andres de Teixido (Cedeira) 
August 24. Stage 5: Maceda (Ourense) - Lugo 
August 25. Stage 6: Monforte - Luintra (Nogueira de Ramuin, Ourense)  
August 26. Stage 7: Council Puebla de Sanabria 
August 27. Stage 8: Villalpando (Zamora) - La Camperona 
August 28. Stage 9: Cistierna (León) - Naranco 
August 29. Stage 10: Lugones - Lagos de Covadonga 
August 30. Rest day
August 31. Stage 11: Ballasts - Peña Cabarga 
September 1: Stage 12: Corrales de Buelna - Bilbao

In the second part, it is known that there will be finishes in Urdax (Navarra), on the Col d'Aubisque and in Biescas, a time trial between Javea and Calpe, a summit finish on Alto de Aitana and a final stage from Rozas to Madrid. The finishes on Aubisque and Aitana and the final time trial will decide the race.

The official presentation of the route will be held on January 9 in Santiago de Compostela.