Incredibly Brutal 2026 La Vuelta Route revealed in Monaco
La Vuelta 2026 blends novelty with Monaco start and Granada finish with classic Spanish climbing battles, making it a climber’s Grand Tour with over 58,000m of climbing and seven summit finishes. Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso, and João Almeida to fight for the Maillot Rojo.
The 2026 Vuelta a España, the 81st edition, will run from August 22 to September 11, 2026, with 21 stages starting in Monaco and finishing in Granada. The opening stage is a 9.6 km individual time trial in Monte Carlo, and the race will feature summit finishes at Alto de La Pandera, Peñas Blancas (Estepona), and Valdelinares, plus a return to Córdoba.
The 2026 Vuelta a España is set to be one of the most demanding editions in race history, with seven summit finishes, over 58,000 m of climbing, extreme heat and relentless mountain stages will define the GC battle.
The route consists of 9 flat/hilly stages, 10 mountain/medium mountain stages, 2 individual time trials (including a mid-race 32.5 km TT) and just 2 rest days.
2026 Vuelta a España Key Climbing Stages
Stage 3: Summit finish at Font Romeu in the Pyrenees — early GC test.
Stage 6: Peñas Blancas (Estepona) — long Andalusian climb.
Stage 7: Alto de La Pandera — iconic steep summit finish.
Stage 9: Aitana in Valencia — lengthy uphill grind.
Stage 14–20: Concentrated mountain block in Andalusia, including Sierra Nevada and Valdelinares.
Final Stage (21): Uphill finish in Granada, ensuring GC drama until the last day.
An early ITT in Monaco immediately sets GC gaps, unlike traditional flat prologues. Southern Spain in late August/September means extreme temperatures, adding physiological stress. Seven summit finishes compress Grand Tour-level climbing into three weeks, favoring pure climbers. Mid-Race ITT at 32.5 km, it offers GC riders with strong time trial skills (like Pogacar or Vingegaard) a chance to balance climbing losses. A symbolic shift from Madrid, with an uphill finish ensuring suspense until the end in Granada.
58,000 m of elevation gain is higher than many Tour de France editions. Riders must manage hydration and recovery carefully and aoid heat stress. With so many summit finishes, teams must decide where to expend energy — early Pyrenees vs late Andalusia. Inclusion of a Gravel climb adds technical handling risks.
The 2026 Vuelta is designed as a climber’s crucible, combining relentless elevation, extreme heat, and a symbolic Monaco-to-Granada journey. GC riders will need both climbing resilience and time trial balance to contend.
2025 Vuelta a España Winners
Winner: Jonas Vingegaard (Visma–Lease a Bike)
Second: João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Third: Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team)
Points Jersey: Mads Pedersen (Lidl–Trek)
Mountains Jersey: Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Youth Jersey: Matthew Riccitello (Israel–Premier Tech)
2026 Vuelta a España Contenders
The GC favorites for La Vuelta 2026 include Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso, and João Almeida, with strong outside contenders like Cian Uijtdebroeks, Giulio Pellizzari, and Jai Hindley. Two ITTs (9.6 km opener, 32.5 km mid-race) give Evenepoel and Pogacar an edge. Visma and UAE bring multiple GC options, increasing tactical complexity.
The 2026 Vuelta GC battle is shaping up as a clash between Vingegaard’s consistency, Pogacar’s all-round brilliance, and Evenepoel’s time trial power, with Ayuso and Almeida adding depth for UAE. Rising talents like Uijtdebroeks and Pellizzari could disrupt the established order.
Stage 1 Sat August 22 9km Monaco to Monaco ITT
Stage 2 Sun August 23 215.2 km Monaco to Manosque Hilly
Stage 3 Mon August 24 166.7 km Grand Narbonne to Font Romeu Mtn Finish
Stage 4 Tue August 25 104.9 km Andorra la Vella to Andorra la Vella Mountain
Stage 5 Wed August 26 171.1 km Costa Daurada to Terres de l'Ebre Hilly
Stage 6 Thu August 27 176.8 km Alcossebre to Castellón Mountain
Stage 7 Fri August 28 149.9 km vall d'Alba to Aramón Valdelinare Mtn Finish
Stage 8 Sat August 29 176.4 km Puçol to XeracoFlat
Stage 9 Sun August 30 187.5 km La Vila Joiosa to Alto de AitanaMtn Finish
Stage 10 Tue September 1 184.5 km Alcaraz to Elche de la SierraHilly
Stage 11 Wed September 2 156.1 km Cartagena to LorcaFlat
Stage 12 Thu September 3 166.5 km Vera to Calar AltoMtn Finish
Stage 13 Fri September 4 193.2 km Almuñécar to LojaMountain
Stage 14 Sat September 5 152.7 km Jaén to Sierra de La Pandera Mtn Finish
Stage 15 Sun September 6 181.2 km Palma del Río to Córdoba Mountain
Stage 16 Tue September 8 186 km Cortegana to Palos de la Frontera Flat
Stage 17 Wed September 9 189.2 km Dos Hermanas to Sevilla Flat
Stage 18 Thu September 10 32.5 km El Puerto Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera ITT
Stage 19 Fri September 11 205.1 km Vélez-Málaga to Peñas Blancas. Estepona Mtn Finish
Stage 20 Sat September 12 206.7 km La Calahorra to Collado del Alguacil Mtn Finish
Stage 21 Sun September 13 99.4 km Carrefour Granada to Granada Flat
