The second stage keeps the peloton in Catalonia, but shifts completely in character. After a start from Tarragone and a long approach suitable for sprinters' teams, the route tightens in the final kilometers around Barcelona. Repeated climbs up to Montjuïc turn the finish into a puncheurs' playground, with enough gradient to blow apart a poorly positioned peloton. The favorites will need to stay very close to the front, as a split or a sharp attack can already prove costly.