Details of the first three stages had been revealed in September, with the Dutch regions of Utrecht and North Brabant set to host the race start.

Utrecht will become the first city to host a stage of all three Grand Tours when it hosts the opening day of racing, followed by 's-Hertogenbosch and Breda.

A rest day will allow riders to travel back to Spain, where racing will resume in the Basque Country.

Stages will visit Álava, Gipuzkoa and Bilbao, with organisers saying it will be the first time since 2012 all three Basque provinces will feature.

The opening week of the racing in Spain will feature the climb of Pico Jano and two mountain finishes at Colláu Fancuaya and Les Praeres.

A 30-kilometre individual time trial will be held after the second rest day, with riders taking a route from Elche to Alicante.

The regions of Murcia and Andalusia will also feature in the second week.

Racing in Andalusia will include three mountain stages at Peñas Blancas, La Pandera and Sierra Nevada.

Organisers say all eight Andalusian provinces will be visited by the race for the first time.

The 188km flat stage from Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Tomares, which will launch the final week of racing, was among those highlighted by race organisers.

"Few places are more representative of La Vuelta or of our country than Andalusia," said Javier Guillén, general manager of La Vuelta.

"We’re also celebrating a historical anniversary: La Vuelta will depart from Sanlúcar de Barrameda 500 years to the day from the moment Sebastián Elcano returned to Spain after completing the first circumnavigation of the globe."

A mountain stage at Talavera de la Reina is claimed to offer a high-altitude finish on stage 19, with the race winner set to be known the following day after the conclusion of a mountain stage from Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada.

The general classification winner will be crowned after the traditional final stage in Madrid.

The race is billed as having two-time trials, seven mountain stages, four mid-mountain stages, six flat stages and two flat stages with high-altitude finales.

Slovenia’s Primož Roglič has won the past three editions of the Vuelta a España.

Organisers also confirmed the women’s version of the race, the CERATIZIT Challenge, will expand for the 2021 event with the race now featuring five stages.

"In 2015, we presented a pioneering race in our country, with the hope of making it an international reference," Guillén said.

"It’s a fun and exciting race. 

"You only have to see the extremely high level of participation in 2021 to understand its importance in the women’s WorldTour calendar. 

"We must respond to the challenge demanded by the riders, and do so by making it the toughest route to date."