In the second stage of the Vuelta, the sprinters will have an immediate chance for a stage win. This has not always been the case in recent history of the Vuelta a España: in 2022, there was a challenging finale on Montjuïc, in 2020, we remember the stage to Lekunberri, and in 2019, Nairo Quintana won in Calpe.

However, this year the sprinters will get an early opportunity in the Vuelta as the peloton races northward through Portugal from Cascais to Ourém. This means a move from the Lisbon district to the Santarém district over mostly flat roads close to the coast.

Along the way, there are two fourth-category climbs. After nine kilometers, the top of the Alto do Lagoa Azul is reached, and in the final stretch, there is the Alto da Batalha, located nineteen kilometers from the finish. Pure sprinters might find this climb challenging, but riders like Kaden Groves, who won three times in 2023, should not have any problems here.

The last twenty kilometers of the stage are flat or downhill towards the hilly finish in Ourém. The organizers could have chosen to place the finish line on top of a hill in the medieval town center, but they have opted to stay in the newer part of the village down in the valley.

In the final kilometers of the stage, there are hardly any corners, allowing the sprint teams to organize themselves well.