Vuelta race director Javier Guillén has confirmed that the 2017 Vuelta a Espana will start in the French city of Nîmes.According to Cycling Weekly, the race may also include a stage to the top of the steep Angliru (the 12.2km climb averages 10.2% and reaches 23.5%).

"We plan to meet with the organisation of the Vuelta to start negotiations and try to Angliru stage a reality in the 2017 race", Mayor Ana Diaz explained.

FDJ climber Kenny Elissonde won the last stage on the climb in 2013. The French rider explained just after his victory that "it's one of the hardest climbs in the mountains".

Another hard climb may be on the menu for the next edition: the Pico de Veleta. It is the highest paved road in Europe.