The 2024 Vuelta a España will open with a time trial, and the final day in Madrid will not be the usual circuit race in the capital, but a 24.6km race against the clock.

Tim Naberman (DSM-Filmenig Post NL) will start the race at 16:30 from the start ramp on the northern outskirts of Madrid, followed two and a half hours later by current race leader Primos Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) to bring the curtain down on the 2024 race.

Roglic's lead from Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) looks insurmountable at 2:02, but he needs to get around the course safely to win his fourth Vuelta title and the red jersey alongside Roberto Heras. The Slovenian will come off the ramp at 19:04.

O'Connor will have an even bigger battle on his hands as he tries to defend his career-best GC position in the Grand Tour with a nine-second lead over third-place finisher Enric Mas (Movistar). O'Connor will be confident because the Australian is better in the time trial.

The top five battle between David Gaudoux (Groupama-FDJ) and Matthias Skjelmoes (Lidl-Trek) will likely play out in the time trial.

The key move for the GC will occur at the end of the stage, when the riders will start in reverse order of their current overall standings.

Roglic will be one of the favorites to win the day, but the flat course and need for safety should give the specialists who survived the grueling three weeks of this year's Vuelta a chance to win.

Stefan Kühn (Groupama-FDJ), stage 1 winner Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates), Edoardo Affini (Visma Lease-a-Bike), Victor Kampenetz (Lotto Doustony) Matias Vacek (Lidl Trek) and others will be looking for victory in the 24.6 km to Madrid's most famous street, Gran Via.

They started at 18:06 (Cung), 17:52 (McNulty), 16:46 (Affini), 16:54 (Campenaerts), and 17:42 (Vacek) respectively.