After four stages, including one uphill, the top two riders in the Vuelta a España general classification are tied with the same time, while 22 other riders are separated by just 16 seconds. This close quarters is set to change with the fifth stage, which features the first time trial of this edition.

After starting in Italy and passing through France, the race finally arrives in Spain, in the Catalan city of Figueres. A team time trial will take place there, covering a completely flat 24.1-kilometer course.

Team time trials, once a staple of Grand Tours, have become increasingly rare in recent years. This has led to a decline in team specialization in this discipline, making the outcome of the stage even more unpredictable and interesting.

The teams will start in reverse order to the team classification, with one exception: David Gaudu's Groupama-FDJ, the current red jersey holder, will be the last to start at 6:05 PM. Lotto will be the first team to start at 4:37 PM, with four-minute intervals between teams.

The fastest teams are expected to complete the course in approximately 25 minutes. This stage therefore promises to be crucial for the overall standings, with significant gaps likely that could completely reshape the standings.