The seventh stage of the Vuelta is undulating but likely won't create significant changes among the general classification riders. About thirty kilometers from the finish, there is a second-category climb.

The stage starts on Friday in Archidona. This Andalusian town has no previous track record in the Vuelta but is historically linked with the finish town, Córdoba. Like much of Spain, Archidona was occupied by the Moors in the early Middle Ages. In 888, Archidona was seized by Emir Al-Mundhir, leading to a revolt in the town. The local leaders were later taken to Córdoba and crucified.

History won't repeat itself in this stage. The first 140 kilometers are mild as the peloton heads north towards Córdoba. There are occasional climbs, but nothing significant.

The highlight of the stage is the Alto del 14%. An unusual name for a climb, it is derived from the maximum gradient of this hill. The climb is not very difficult: it is 8.4 kilometers long with an average gradient of 5.3 percent.

In 2021, the finale was similar to this year's. On the Alto del 14%, riders like Giulio Ciccone, Jay Vine, and Romain Bardet launched attacks but couldn't prevent a sprint in the final twenty kilometers. In the sprint in Córdoba, Magnus Cort proved to be the fastest.

He joined the ranks of Peter Sagan, Oscar Freire, Tom Boonen, and John Degenkolb, riders who have previously won in the warmest city in Europe. It's likely that a rider similar to Cort will win again in 2024.