The first half of the course for the 2016 Vuelta a Espana (August 20 to September 11) is already known and will include six summit finishes in the northern part of the peninsula. Starting in Galicia, the race will reacg Cantabria after the first 11 days.

With the confirmation of a finish on the Peña Cabarga climb, the first 11 stages of the 2016 Vuelta have been revealed even though the official confirmation is still missing. The first six in Galicia will be followed by stages in Castilla y Leon, Asturias and Cantabria.The presentation of the race will be held on January 9.

The will be no less than six uphill finishes: Mirador de Ézaro (stage 3), San André de Teixido (Cedeira) (stage 4) and four consecutive mountaintop finishes on La Camperona (stage 8), Naranco (stage 9), Lagos de Covadonga (stage 10) and, after the first rest day, Peña Cabarga (stage 11). At this point, a big selection will already have taken place:

Course:

August 20. Stage1: Balneario Laias (Cenlle, Ourense) - Nautical Park Castrelo de Miño (Ourense), 28 km CRE 
August 21. Stage 2: Ourense - Pontevedra 
August 22. Stage 3: Marin (Pontevedra) - Mirador Ézaro (A Coruña) 
August 23. Stage 4: Betanzos (A Coruña) - Saint André de Teixido (Cedeira) 
August 24. Stage 5: Maceda (Ourense) - Lugo 
August 25. Stage 6: Monforte - Luintra (Nogueira de Ramuin, Ourense)  
August 26. Stage 7: Comarca 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: Lastres- Peña Cabarga

On September 1, the riders will probably travel from Corrales de Buelna to the Basque Country in a second part which will include finishes in Urdax (Navarra), on the Col d'Aubisque, in Biescas, a time trial between Javea and Calpe, a summit finish on Alto  de Aitana and a final stage from Rozas toMadrid. Aubisque and Aitana and the final time trial will be decide the race.