The Vuelta a Espana 2026 gets underway this week with another gruelling, mountainous edition of the year’s final - and often, most unpredictable - grand tour.
That unpredictability has taken a bit of a hit this year after the news that Tadej Pogacar will return to the race for the first time since 2019, as he targets the only grand tour he has yet to win after demolishing the competition at this summer’s Tour de France.
After a month off the Slovenian returns to action with the likes of last year’s runner-up Joao Almeida and Jay Vine for support, while Primoz Roglic is expected to go for a record fifth title and Wout van Aert helms Visma-Lease a Bike in the absence of reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard, who will not defend his title after crashing out of the Tour and ending his season early.
As per usual this Vuelta is one for the best climbers and feels tailor-made for Pogacar, starting in his base of Monaco and winding through France and Andorra before crossing over into Spain.
There are four ‘sprint’ stages on the menu but six mountaintop finishes and another nine considered either hilly or medium-mountains, with two individual time trials; it’s also a very southern edition of the race, with much of the action taking place in the baking hot climes of Andalusia, adding yet another challenge.
(Unipublic)Stage 1: Monaco > Monaco (9.4km)The Vuelta kicks off with what is essentially a prologue, a 9.4km jaunt of an individual time trial beginning by the Monte Carlo Casino, passing many of Monaco’s landmarks and the F1 racing circuit. The first couple of kilometres are slightly undulating before it flattens out entirely for a tricky, technical city-centre circuit. There are two very brief uphills right before the finish, which peak at 7% and could be a sting in the tail for some. The finish line will be familiar to F1 fans as it’s the same as for the Monaco Grand Prix.
La Vuelta stage 1 (Unipublic)Stage 2: Monaco > Manosque (214km)From the shortest stage to the longest: stage two takes the riders from Monaco towards Nice and into the Provencal hills, and is tailor-made for a breakaway as the big guns are likely to preserve their energy for stage three’s summit finish. The climbing begins straight out the gate, with only two categorised climbs - the cat-three Col de Châteauneuf-Grasse and the Col de Saint-Andrieu - but it’s up and down all day before a narrow, technical finish in Manosque, with an uphill drag to the line.
La Vuelta stage 2 (Unipublic)Stage 3: Gruissan - Aude > Font Romeu (174km)The first mountaintop finish of this year’s Vuelta. It’s a classic Vuelta route, flat all day - in this case passing through some lovely vineyards and skirting Perpignan - before a pair of climbs close together to finish, although not as brutal as the likes of the Angliru.
The double ascent of the category one Col de Mont-Louis and the final climb up the category-two Font-Romeu, 1800m above sea level, should give an early indication of the main contenders’ form and weed out some of the chaff.
La Vuelta stage 3 (Unipublic)Stage 4: Andorra la Vella > Andorra la Vella (104.8km)Stage four starts and ends in the Andorran capital and is a real test for the GC contenders after yesterday’s first skirmishes. It’s short for a road stage but punchy: there are three category-one climbs on the agenda - expect UAE Team Emirates-XRG to make life difficult for everyone else - before the cat-three Alto de la Comella and and a 4km descent to the finish line, with the mountains coming back-to-back and little respite as each descent leads straight into the next climb.
La Vuelta stage 4 (Unipublic)Stage 5: Falset (Costa Daurada) > Roquetes (Terres de l’Ebre) (173.4km)After four stages of a foreign Grand Depart the race enters Spain proper. It’s another hilly day out but in a race short on chances for the sprinters, the fast men may try to stamp their authority on this one.
There’s plenty of uncategorised climbing on the agenda bookending a flat middle third of the stage, with only the category-three Alto de Pauls to surmount in terms of official hills. That comes with 20km remaining for the sprinters’ trains to get themselves in order on the descent and flat approach to the line in Roquetes.
La Vuelta stage 5 (Unipublic)Stage 6: Alcossebre > Castello (177.4km)Tadej Pogacar killed off the Tour de France competition on stage six this year; could he do the same in this Vuelta? There’s no Tourmalet on this stage six but there are four categorised climbs as the peloton turns inland from a coastal start in Alcossebre and winds through the dramatic ravines and limestone cliffs of Castellon. The main test of the day is the the cat-one Puerto El Bartolo, the last climb, which features 3km of dirt track for added jeopardy and difficulty.
La Vuelta stage 6 (Unipublic)Stage 7: Vall d'Alba > Aramon Valdelinares (149.8km)The climbing continues on stage seven, which features the second-highest altitude finish of the entire race after the climb to Aramon Vadelinares. There are two category-two and two cat-three climbs to get over before then on another unforgiving day for the sprinters, before the riders head up to just shy of 2,000m above sea level at the summit of the final climb. This one could catch out some GC contenders.
La Vuelta stage 7 (Unipublic)Stage 8: Pucol > Xeraco (171km)Stage eight should be another opportunity for the sprinters, with a flat finish, although the category two Puerto de Barx 22km from the finish could instead provide the springboard for a late attack. The stage begins near the coast on the outskirts of Valencia before heading inland and wending its way south and back out to the finish line on the seafront at Xeraco.
La Vuelta stage 8 (Unipublic)Stage 9: La Vila Joiosa > Alto de Aitana (187.4km)The last stage of the opening week is the toughest to date, with more than 5,000m of elevation gain across six categorised climbs and more uncategorised rises. We’re into the mountains of the Costa Blanca, with the two major climbs of note the category-one Puerto de El Miserat, at around the halfway point of the stage, and the summit finish of Alto de Aitana.
El Miserat is about as miserable as the name suggests: it has multiple double-digit sections with the worst maxing out at 20%, averaging 10% for 5.2km, while the final 6km of Aitana rarely drop below 8%. The searing heat of Alicante in late August will also be a factor.
La Vuelta stage 9 (Unipublic)Rest day Stage 10: Alcaraz > Elche de la Sierra (184.7km)Not too taxing a first day back after the rest day, with three category-three climbs on a fairly long but otherwise not particularly remarkable day out. This should be one for the breakaway, while the heat as the race beds down in southern Spain will continue to be an important factor for teams to manage.
La Vuelta stage 10 (Unipublic)Stage 11: Cartagena > Lorca (151.3km)A similar parcours to stage eight: in theory this is one for the fast men but the category-three Alto del Morron de Totana, which comes with just under 34km to go, could put some of the purer sprinters in difficulty. After that though it’s a gentle descent and flat approach to the line in Lorca, where we should get a rare bunch sprint.
La Vuelta stage 11 (Unipublic)Stage 12: Vera > Calar Alto (166.6km)Stage 12 is another big summit finish after a couple of gentler days in the saddle. The climbs get tougher as the race barrels through eastern Andalusia, with an early pair of category three climbs followed by the category-two Collado Garcia before the double ascent of the category-one, 13km Alto de Velefique, which hits highs of 16%, and the summit finish atop Calar Alto, which rises more than 2,000m above sea level.
The first half of the Calar Alto regularly hits double-digit gradients before tailing off, with another nasty section closer to the top. Miguel Angel Lopez won here in the 2017 edition.
La Vuelta stage 12 (Unipublic)Stage 13: Almunecar v Loja (192.8km)Stage 13 should be a day for the breakaway, with three classified climbs, the toughest of which is the category-one Venta de la Cebada inside the first 30km. The undulating terrain through the climbs of Granada will likely put paid to the pure sprinters’ chances, particularly after the gruelling stage 12, with the punchier fast men major contenders as the parcours flattens out after the final third-category climb, 38km from the line. We could see Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen duking it out at the finish in Loja.
La Vuelta stage 13 (Unipublic)Stage 14: Jaen > Sierra de La Pandera (154.5km)After one day’s respite for the breakaway we’re back into serious climbing territory as the race heads to Jaen, home of the Clasica Jaen and its treacherous gravel sectors through the picturesque olive groves of Andalusia. The scenery will be beautiful but the actual racing brutal: hot temperatures and blazing sunshine on the steep climbs will be important to manage once again.
From the provincial capital the race heads in the direction of another summit finish atop the category-one Sierra de la Pandera, 1,800m above sea level. Before that there are two category-two climbs to surmount and plenty more uncategorised climbing - nearly 4,200m of elevation gain in total - on another day for a general classification battle.
La Vuelta stage 14 (Unipublic)Stage 15: Palma del Rio > Cordoba (189.7km)The second week of the Vuelta ends with a transitional stage which could well see a bunch sprint, if the fast men have recovered from their exertions. Otherwise, this could be a day for the enterprising escape artist. There are three category three ascents and a few more undulations on the way to Cordoba, with the descent towards the line a key moment to navigate, before a flat run-in to the provincial capital.
La Vuelta stage 15 (Unipublic)Rest day Stage 16: Cortegana > La Rabida (Palos de la Frontera) (181.1km)The final week of the Vuelta kicks off with a long stage of two halves: a hilly first half beginning in the Sierra Morena, leading to a flat run-in towards the southern coast on the outskirts of Huelva. For once there’s more descending than climbing, but the gradients are still fairly steep at points. The flat finish means we’re likely to be in for two bunch sprints in a row, separated by the rest day, although anything is possible this late in the race.
La Vuelta stage 16 (Unipublic)Stage 17: Dos Hermanas > Sevilla (185km)A third bunch sprint in a row, in fact: stage 17 is a cookie-cutter sprint stage, the flattest of the entire race. Expect lots of aerial footage of beautiful countryside and much grasping at straws on commentary to find something to fill the time. Technical narrow streets will add some jeopardy, however, as will the city centre circuit through Sevilla to finish.
La Vuelta stage 17 (Unipublic)Stage 18: El Puerto de Santa Maria > Jerez de la Frontera (32km)A second individual time trial of this year, but much longer than stage one, at 32km. This is another designed for the pure time-trial specialists, flat with long straights where aerodynamics and position will be absolutely crucial, although the Levante wind could cause some trouble. A big test for the general classification riders ahead of one final mountainous double-header.
La Vuelta stage 18 (Unipublic)Stage 19: Velez-Malaga > Penas Blancas (Estepona) (210km)Back in the mountains for another long, hot day in the saddle. The first third of the stage is largely flat before a pair of category-two climbs, the Puerto de Las Abejas and Puerto del Viento, providing the perfect springboard for a breakaway.
The route wends its way along the coast past Malaga before swinging inland and uphill, before heading back towards the coast near Marbella for the final test of the day at Estepona: the category-one Penas Blancas, which regularly hits double-digits gradients and maxes out at 17% on the lower slopes. And that’s with 190km already in the legs.
La Vuelta stage 19 (Unipublic)Stage 20: La Calahorra > Collado del Alguacil (187km)Landslides earlier this year have meant a late change to the route for stage 20, which has been shortened by nearly 20km and had one climb swapped out for another, but it remains a fearsome beast and the queen stage of this year’s race.
There are five categorised climbs on the menu, with the category-one Puerto de El Purche to be summited twice before a first-ever ascent of the Puerto de El Duque as the route weaves in and out of Granada into the Sierra Nevada. That is followed by the monstrous hors-categorie Collado del Alguacil (8.3km at 9.8%), which has never featured in the Vuelta before. This one has Pogacar written all over it.
La Vuelta stage 20 (Unipublic)Stage 21: Granada > Granada (99.4km)The Collado del Alguacil will have decided the general classification, but stage 21 is no procession, with four circuits of Granada, each featuring a short, sharp climb up to the Alhambra, to round off this year’s Vuelta.
The Vuelta loves a gimmick and this stage will start in the Granada Carrefour supermarket, a callback to a couple of years ago and a handy bit of product placement for the race’s main sponsor, before a gentle ride around the outskirts of the city en route to the city circuit itself. Narrow streets and sharp corners will make this a dramatic finale, which is likely to be contested by the punchier riders rather than sprinters.
La Vuelta stage 21 (Unipublic)
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