Five contenders for the KOM classification at the 2026 Vuelta a España

Richard Carapaz arrives at the Vuelta as the reigning Tour de France King of the Mountains, having won the polka dot jersey in July alongside two stage victories and the Super Combativity Award.

The Ecuadorian has already proved that he knows how to target a Grand Tour mountains classification. He won the equivalent jersey at the 2022 Vuelta a España and has since developed into one of the strongest breakaway climbers in the peloton.

Carapaz also has an outstanding Grand Tour pedigree. He became the first Ecuadorian to win a Grand Tour when he took the 2019 Giro d'Italia and has stood on the overall podium at all three Grand Tours, finishing second at the 2020 Vuelta and third at the 2021 Tour de France.

Now 33, his attacking style makes him particularly well suited to this year's Vuelta. Carapaz is comfortable committing to long mountain breakaways rather than simply trying to defend a points lead day by day, and the race's seven summit finishes should give him repeated opportunities to score heavily.

He is also the only rider among these five contenders to have previously won the Vuelta mountains classification.

That experience, combined with his Tour form, makes him the rider to beat for the polka dot jersey.

Lorenzo Fortunato showed exactly how a mountains classification can be won at the 2025 Giro d'Italia.

The Italian claimed the King of the Mountains title by a margin of 155 points over teammate Christian Scaroni after spending much of the race in mountain breakaways and consistently collecting points across the three weeks.

The 30-year-old has also shown strong form ahead of the Vuelta. His recent performances underline his ability to compete on difficult terrain and put him among the most credible challengers to Carapaz.

XDS Astana's aggressive racing style should suit him. The team is rarely afraid to send riders into breakaways, and Fortunato has already demonstrated that he can turn that freedom into a successful Grand Tour mountains campaign.

He has ridden all three Grand Tours during his career, although the 2026 Vuelta will be his first appearance in the Spanish race.

His strength may not only lie in the biggest summit finishes. Fortunato's ability to repeatedly score on smaller categorised climbs could prove just as important over 21 stages, particularly if the general classification favourites take most of the points on the major mountain finishes.

Outside Carapaz, he looks like one of the strongest specialist contenders for the jersey.

Valentin Paret-Peintre finished third in the mountains classification at the 2026 Tour de France, behind Carapaz and Tadej Pogačar.

The Frenchman scored 99 points after spending much of the race attacking from the breakaway, again confirming his credentials as one of the peloton's most dangerous riders when a mountain stage is open to attackers.

His breakthrough moment had come a year earlier at the 2025 Tour, when he won on Mont Ventoux from the breakaway. It was an emotional home victory for France on one of cycling's most famous climbs.

Paret-Peintre made his Vuelta a España debut in 2025, but his race ended early when he abandoned on Stage 4.

He returns to Spain for a second attempt in 2026 with a profile that looks particularly well suited to the mountains classification. At 25, he combines pure climbing ability with the capacity to spend long days in the breakaway and still compete for major points late in mountain stages.

Soudal Quick-Step's general classification ambitions around Mikel Landa could also work in his favour. With Landa focused on the overall standings, Paret Peintre should have opportunities to pursue breakaways and mountain stages without carrying the same responsibility.

If he can reproduce the aggressive racing he showed at the Tour, he should be firmly in the polka dot conversation.

Luca Vergallito is the dark horse among the five.

The 28-year-old Italian, nicknamed "Il Bandito", has already made two appearances at the Vuelta a España. He debuted in 2024 before abandoning during the 2025 edition.

His results in 2026 have shown that he can compete on difficult terrain. Vergallito finished 18th overall at the Volta a Catalunya and took seventh place on the final stage in Barcelona.

His route to the mountains jersey would likely look very different from that of the race favourites.

Vergallito is unlikely to beat riders such as Carapaz or Pogačar simply by waiting for the final climb. His strength lies in aggressive racing and getting into the right breakaways, something that can be especially valuable in a classification decided across three weeks.

Alpecin-Premier Tech are also likely to have separate ambitions on the sprint stages, which could give Vergallito considerable freedom once the race reaches the mountains.

He remains a genuine outsider, but if he repeatedly finds the right breakaway and starts accumulating points early in the race, he could become a serious factor.

The unavoidable pick.

Pogačar starts the Vuelta as the overwhelming GC favourite after winning his fifth Tour de France, and his strength in the high mountains automatically makes him a contender for the polka dot jersey.

He finished second in the 2026 Tour de France mountains classification behind Carapaz, scoring 100 points to the Ecuadorian's 156. Seven summit finishes in Spain should give him plenty of opportunities to add to that tally, particularly if he races aggressively for stage wins.

His only previous Vuelta appearance came in 2019, when he won three stages on debut and finished third overall as a 20 year old.

Seven years later, he returns with the stated aim of completing his set of Grand Tour victories. If he is as dominant in the mountains as expected, the polka dot jersey could follow naturally from his pursuit of the red jersey.

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