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2025 La Vuelta Race Coverage

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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.

Click here for our LIVE coverage: https://www.granfondoguide.com/ProCycling/VueltaEspana

2026-la-vuelta-route

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.

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.
 
Click here for our LIVE coverage: https://www.granfondoguide.com/ProCycling/VueltaEspana
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