Five fantasy value picks for the 2026 Vuelta a España

Our selections are based on our partner Cycling Fantasy, where players have a 5,000 credit budget to build a nine-rider team.

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Widar is the cheapest of the five and arguably offers the most upside for his price.

The 20-year-old Belgian, who recently extended his contract until 2028, is riding his first Grand Tour after a stellar U23 career that included victory at the 2024 Giro Next Gen, the 2025 Ronde de l'Isard and the 2025 Liège Bastogne Liège U23, as well as two stage wins at the 2025 Tour de l'Avenir and consecutive Giro della Valle d'Aosta titles.

He was crowned European U23 champion in October 2025 and named Belgian U23 Rider of the Year for the second consecutive year.

His form ahead of the Vuelta has been encouraging. Widar finished fourth on the queen stage of the Tour de Suisse on his return from injury and also took fourth on stage 2 of the Vuelta a Burgos in early August. Lotto Intermarché have no major GC ambitions in Spain, which should give Widar the freedom to attack.

Romeo is the most expensive of the five and has also been the most successful rider on this list in 2026.

The 22 year old Spaniard from Valladolid won the Vuelta a Andalucía overall and took a stage victory there in February, before adding another stage win at O Gran Camiño in April. He is also the 2024 U23 time trial world champion and the 2025 Spanish national road race champion.

Movistar go into the Vuelta with Cian Uijtdebroeks and Enric Mas as their main GC options, but Romeo should have freedom on flat and hilly stages that suit the breakaway.

His time trial ability also gives him a genuine opportunity on stage 1, the 9km Monaco time trial, and stage 18, the 32km test in Jerez. Racing on home roads should provide another boost in the final week.

Garofoli is the middle-priced breakaway pick. 

The 23-year-old Italian climber from Ancona has spent his debut Soudal Quick-Step season as a permanent fixture of the breakaway, with three Giro d'Italia breakaway rides in 2026, including a top-ten stage finish at Asiago and an aggressive attack on stage 14. 

He was Soudal Quick-Step's best finisher at the Clásica San Sebastián in early August and went on the attack on stage 4 of the Vuelta a Burgos, where he made the day's selection before being caught late. 

Garofoli signed a two-year Soudal Quick-Step extension in March and rides the 2026 Vuelta with a free role on the mountain days alongside Mikel Landa's GC challenge and Valentin Paret-Peintre's KOM ambitions. His breakaway consistency makes him a strong points-per-euro pick.

Tulett is the mid priced climbing option and one of Team Visma | Lease a Bike's potential GC cards for the Vuelta.

The 24-year-old Briton enjoyed a breakthrough 2025 season, winning the Coppi e Bartali overall along with a stage, before playing an important support role in Jonas Vingegaard's Vuelta victory.

His form heading into the 2026 Vuelta has been steady, including 15th overall at the Vuelta a Burgos and consistent results across the WorldTour.

Visma arrive without a designated GC leader, with Tulett and Jørgen Nordhagen both given room to pursue their own ambitions. A top 10 finish overall is within reach if Tulett can stay healthy across the three weeks.

Brennan is the sprint option among the five.

The 21-year-old British sprinter won stages 1 and 4 of the Vuelta a Burgos in early August in his final preparation race before the Grand Tour. Those victories followed a breakthrough 2025 season in which he won 14 races, including stages at the Volta a Catalunya, Tour de Romandie and Tour de Pologne.

His profile suits both conventional sprint stages and reduced group finishes, giving him several opportunities across the flat and rolling stages in Spain.

The 2026 Vuelta will be his first Grand Tour, but his form has been strong enough for Visma to bring him alongside Wout van Aert as another major option for stage victories. Together, they give the team considerable flexibility on the flatter stages.