Vuelta a España 2026 route - Stage-by-stage guide

The route for the 2026 Vuelta a España covers 3,275km and features a total elevation gain of 58,156. Over the course of 21 stages, riders will face the following:

• 9 flat or hilly stages
• 10 medium mountain and mountain stages
• 2 individual time trials
• There are two rest days during the 2026 Vuelta a España on August 31 and September 7

For the third consecutive edition and only the seventh time in the race’s history, the Vuelta a España will begin with a foreign start. 

This time around, it’s Monaco that will take centre stage, 17 years after hosting the Grand Départ of the 2009 Tour de France. Having hosted the start of the Giro d’Italia in 1966, this Vuelta will mark history for Monaco, becoming the first city to host the start of the first stage in all three Grand Tours. 

In 2009, an individual time trial kicked off the race, and once more, Monaco will host a race against the clock. The course in question is 9km in length and will begin by the Monte Carlo Casino, with the first few kilometres being lumpy. 

However, the course very quickly becomes pan-flat, but the riders will need to concentrate on the technical route through the streets of Monaco, where the first leader of the race will be decided.

Stage 2 is the longest stage of the 2025 edition and should provide an intriguing day of racing. Beginning in Monaco, the stage begins with an uncategorised climb which should see the breakaway form, before descending towards Nice. 

There are two categorised climbs on the menu, both category 3 and in the first half of the stage, which reduces their significance on the final result. However, this is no easy stage with both the distance and the fact that the majority is on rolling terrain. 

The finish in Manosque sees an uphill drag to the line, but despite the rolling terrain throughout, this is a stage that the fast finishers will be eyeing up.

The climbers won’t have to wait long to get stuck into the action in stage 3 in this French affair. Though in terms of the stage itself, they will have to wait for a while until the terrain turns in their favour, as the first 100km is mainly flat. 

The French village of Gruissan is actually hosting a stage of the Vuelta for the second time in a decade, following the 2017 Vuelta, where stage 2 finished when Yves Lampaert surprised the sprinters in a windy finale.

It won’t be a stage for the sprinters this time around, as the climbing ramps up in the final 30km with the first category ascent of the Col de Mont-Louis. The climbing in the finale takes place in two parts, as the riders will summit the Mont-Louis with 15km remaining before a short descent that leads to the foot of the slightly easier Font Romeu, located 1,800 metres above sea level, where it’s very possible that there could be a change in hands in race leadership.

This is a wildcard of a stage, and the fact that it comes so early into the race makes it all the more intriguing. With the first summit finish in the legs from the previous day, stage 4’s explosive nature could catch plenty out. For the first time in the race’s history, Andorra la Vella will host both the start and finish of the same stage.

Last time a stage finished in Andorra la Vella, it was also very early in the race. In 2017, Vincenzo Nibali won an exciting stage 3 after launching a surprise early sprint from a select group of GC contenders. 

This stage has the potential to be just as, if not more, selective than on that occasion. At just 104.9km in length, the riders will set off from the foot of the category 1 Port de Envalira. The fight for the breakaway will be fierce, and any sprinters will be fearing the worst. We could even see some surprise riders dropped from the peloton on this long and arduous ascent.

Following a long descent, the riders will be hit with two steep category 1 ascents with little respite. First comes the Collada de Beixalis, followed by the Coll d’Ordino.

From the summit of the Coll d’Ordino, only 25km remain, but it’s possible that a lone rider could stay away, with a long descent to the final climb, the easiest of the day, the category 3 Alto de La Comella. Whoever reaches the summit first will have a great shot at victory, so long, as they hold their nerve on the 4km descent to the finish line. 

Profiled as hilly, stage 5 should still favour the sprinters. Beginning in Falset, for the first time, the riders will head towards L’Ampolla, where they reach some of the flattest kilometres of the entire Vuelta. 

There’s some uncategorised climbing in the final 50km before the category three Alto de Paüls. However, the summit comes over 20km from the finish line, and unless a strong coordinated group attack is clear, it should come down to a sprint finish in Roquetes. Terres De L’Ebre is located between the right channel of the Ebro River and the Los Puertos Massif, and is hosting a Vuelta stage finish for the first time.

Stage 6 is the first major mountain stage of the 2025 Vuelta, and takes the riders back out of Spain for a summit finish in Andorra. 

There's no respite with an uphill start on the Collada de Sentigosa (Category 3), a lengthy climb at 11.4km with an average gradient of 4.1%. The climb should serve as the setting for the initial fight for the breakaway, where, naturally, the stronger climbers will come to the fore. 

Following a short descent and plateau, the more significant Collada de Toses (Category 1) awaits. The climb is 24.3km in length with an average gradient of 3.5%. However, there are far steeper sections of the climb, which will ignite the fatigue in the legs of the riders, earning the climb it's category 1 status. The summit is over 100km from the finish, so the climb shouldn't see any major GC action, but it will still hurt the legs of many.

With around 45km to go, the peloton will enter Andorra and approach the foot of the short, but steep La Comella (Category 2) climb. At the summit, only a small descent awaits before the riders head back uphill towards the summit finish at Pal (Category 1), 9.6km at 6.3%. The climb featured in the 2023 edition, where Remco Evenepoel won from a reduced group sprint before crashing shortly after the finish line.

Back-to-back mountain stages await the riders, and this route is more mountainous than the previous day. 

Beginning in Andorra, the route returns to Spain after only 6.3km before reaching the foot of the first climb, 13.2km into the stage. The Port del Canto (Category 1) is one of the longest categorised climbs of the 2025 edition, with 24.7km with an average gradient of 4.4%. It's a climb which has been used multiple times in the last decade at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, including in 2024 on a stage won by Tadej Pogačar.

The climbs of Creu de Perves, 5.7km at 6.3% and La Espina, 7.1km at 5.5%, both Category 2, make up the middle portion of the stage, helping to accumulate the climbing metres in the stage, before a second consecutive tough summit finish.

Compared to the previous stage finish, the 12.1km climb to Cerler is very inconsistent in its nature, which skews its difficulty when looking at the average gradient of 5.8%. There are plenty of sections of the climb which are much steeper than 5.8% but also some plateaus and even short descents, which will make things harder for the riders to find a consistent rhythm throughout.

It’s the first road stage that has been profiled as flat by the race organisers. Even so, it won't be plain sailing for the sprinters, because in typical Vuelta fashion, there’s a spanner in the works.

Beginning in Puçol for the first time, the majority of the stage is flat, with one notable exception. The second category, Puerto de Barx, could put some of the sprinters in the hurt locker if raced aggressively, and with the summit coming 22km from the finish line, it could be costly to be dropped here. 

Those that remain with the bunch over the summit will turn their attention to a likely sprint finish in the coastal town of Xeraco, which hosts a Vuelta stage finish for the first time.

If the riders aren’t already craving a rest day, it will certainly be needed after stage 9. Beginning in La Vila Joiosa / Villajoyosa, this stage has very few flat roads in its 187km entirety. 

In total, there are six categorised climbs of varying difficulty, two category 1, two category 2 and two category 3 ascents. The first five climbs shouldn’t see the race split to pieces, but there could be some struggling riders distanced if struggling with the pace or heat.

Ultimately, this stage should boil down to the Alto de Aitana, which returns on the 25th anniversary of its debut at the Vuelta. This category 1 climb has hosted four previous Vuelta stage finishes. 

On the last occasion in 2016, Pierre Latour looked dead on his feet against Darwin Atapuma in the breakaway, before the Frenchman found something special in the final kilometre to claim his first Grand Tour stage win. Meanwhile, Nairo Quintana and Chris Froome did battle, but it was the Colombian who held onto his advantage to seal the red jersey.

Beyond just the difficult summit finish, route designer Fernando Escartín has warned that “the heat could make this already challenging stage even tougher.”

The second week of racing kicks off with a hilly 184.5km stage that begins in Alcaraz and concludes in Elche, and looks primed for a game of cat and mouse between the breakaway and the sprinters' teams.

With three categorised climbs and plenty of rolling terrain, it will take a coordinated effort from the sprinters' teams to control the race if a strong breakaway goes clear. The summit of the final categorised climb, the Puerto de Socovos, comes just over 20km from the finish line, and even the final kilometre drags uphill.

This is another stage that the sprinters will have marked in their calendars, 156.1km from Cartagena to Lorca.

The profile of the stage is similar to stage 11 in the sense that the majority of the stage is flat, with the exception of a single categorised climb in the final third. However, the category three Alto del Morrón is an easier test than the Puerto de Barx on stage 7, and comes significantly further from the finish, 33.5km from the line in Lorca.

Once more, the sprinters will need to remain focused, but ultimately, this is another chance that they can’t afford to pass up on in Lorca, which has already hosted three previous Vuelta stage finishes. Tyler Farrar was the last winner in a sprint in Lorca during the 2010 edition.

The Vuelta reaches Andalusia with a stage that will certainly test the mettle of the riders. After setting off from Vera, the route heads quickly to the first of five categorised climbs of the day, the category three Puerto Los Barrancos, with each test increasing in difficulty.

Following the first ascent, the riders will take in the Alto Cóbdar and Collado Garcia, before the most crucial part of the stage begins. The traditional double challenge of the category one Alto de Velefique and summit finish to Calar Alto, which finishes over 2,100 metres above sea level. 

The riders will reach the summit of Velefique with 31km to go before quickly descending to the foot of the Calar Alto, which could split the race apart. Miguel Ángel López was the winner when the Vuelta last finished on this climb back in 2017.

Stage 13 is billed as a medium mountain stage, but depending on how the first half of the stage is raced, it could still end in a sprint of sorts.

The first half of the stage features three categorised climbs, including the category one Puerto Los Guájares, which could split the climbers from the rest. However, the summit is 160km from the finish line, so its impact is likely to be limited.

The final categorised climb, the Puerto de Granada, a category 2 ascent, could pose more problems for the less natural climbers, but if any versatile sprinters manage to hang on, or stay within touching distance of the front of the race, there's 32km to return to the peloton on a flat run-in to Loja. Though the road kicks up slightly inside the final kilometre to the finish line, this could be an ideal stage for a versatile fast finisher.

Jaén hosts the start of stage 14, and the town will be familiar to many cycling fans due to the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior.

From Jaén, the riders will embark on continuous rolling terrain, and although there are only two categorised climbs before the summit finish, it won’t feel that way for many. 

The category 2 climbs of the Puerto de Los Villares and Puerto de Locubin will serve as appetisers for the main event, the Sierra de la Pandera, which has featured in the Vuelta six times previously.

Following its debut in 2002, the Pandera Mountain range has made a big impact in multiple editions of the Vuelta with some of the highest altitude finishes. Richard Carapaz won on the last finish to this savage climb back in 2022. Once more, the heat will be a key factor in the deep south of Spain.

The last push before the final rest day could be a day for the breakaway to duke it out for the stage honours. When the flag drops in Palma Del Río, expect a fierce battle to get into the day’s breakaway, and it could be a stage where a large group pulls clear.

In total, there is a trio of category three climbs on the menu, but plenty of uncategorised climbing in between. The summit of the final ascent, the Puerto Artafi, is just shy of 30km from the finish line, and if there’s a rider strong and confident enough, it could be a stage for a solo winner, but ultimately, if it comes down to a sprint, the run-in is flat to Córdoba. 

Wout van Aert was the last Vuelta stage winner in Córdoba, winning in a sprint after Sepp Kuss uncharacteristically, but crucially, became the Belgian’s key support rider in the flat finale.

After the final rest day, it’s all action from here on in to the final stage in Granada. First up is one of the two consecutive opportunities for the sprinters to strike for gold

Beginning in Cortegana, the first half of this 186km stage is on rolling terrain, but features no categorised climbs. 

The final run-in is the flattest part of the stage, and will see some very high speeds to the finish at La Rábida by the coast. However, the sea wind could make things interesting if strong enough.

Stage 17 is the flattest of the entire race, and with a twist to the final stage in Granada, this is likely the final opportunity for the sprinters to win a stage. 

Fatigue can play a role in controlling a stage this deep into a Grand Tour, and surprises aren’t completely out of the question, but the odds will certainly favour the sprinters in this 189.2km stage when they set off from Dos Hermanas for the first time in a Vuelta stage. 

This will be the sixteenth stage finish in the streets of Seville, two years after Pavel Bittner beat Wout van Aert to claim his first-ever Grand Tour stage win.

In total, there are 41km of time trialling in the 2026 route. The opening stage in Monaco accounts for 9km, meaning that this 32.5km effort will be where the stronger riders in the discipline can make the difference.

Situated in the third and final week, the stage holds added significance, as the general classification will be pretty well established by this point, yet the standings could look quite different come the end of this stage.

Beginning at the Port of Santa María for the first time, the riders will get a great view of the Bay of Cádiz as they begin their efforts along the mainly flat route. With this coastal route, the wind could also play a big role, suiting the powerhouses, whilst the lightweight riders could be hampered.

Jerez de la Frontera has hosted twelve Vuelta stage finishes, and seven of those have been time trials. Despite being only 32.5km long, which pales in significance to some of the brutally long and difficult mountain stages, this could be a day that re-shapes the general classification.

This is a deceptively hard stage, both in terms of length and climbing. Standing as the second-longest stage of the Vuelta at 205.1km, most will be feeling the fatigue on the start line at Vélez-Málaga. 

The first 70km are flat before the climbing ensues with three categorised climbs. The collection of climbs favours the breakaway to build a strong advantage over the peloton, who will also have one eye on the blockbuster penultimate stage.

For the third time in the Vuelta, the category one climb to Peñas Blancas. Estepona will host the finish of a stage, three years after Richard Carapaz soloed to victory in 2022, the first of three stage wins for the Ecuadorian in that edition. It may not be a stage where the red jersey is won, but it could be lost. 

As is usually the case, the penultimate stage of the race looks to be a pivotal day of racing. It’s safe to say that the race organisers have pulled no punches when it comes to designing a brutal stage worthy of deciding the general classification. Not only is this stage long, at 187km, but it’s extremely mountainous with over 5,000 metres of elevation gain packed across five categorised climbs. 

Beginning in La Calahorra, the climbing gets progressively harder as the day grows older. After a category 3 ascent, the riders are treated with three category 1 ascents, the Alto de Hazallanas twice, and the Puerto de El Purche sandwiched in between. These climbs themselves could split the race apart, but if they don’t, then the final climb certainly can.

The Collada del Alguacil is the only climb in the entire race which has been awarded the Category Especial, which tells you all you need to know. 

Standing at 8.3km in length, the climb almost holds double-digit gradients throughout, with an average of 9.8%. For only the second time in the Vuelta, the municipality of Güejar Sierra will host a summit finish. Chris Horner won on the climb to Hazallanas in 2013, en route to a surprise Vuelta title.

In that Vuelta, the battle for the red jersey between Horner and Vincenzo Nibali came right down to the wire, and with the organisers saving the hardest climb to the very death, it’s possible we see a nail-biting climax to the general classification battle in 2026.

The Andalusian city of Granada will have the honour of drawing the final curtain of the 2026 Vuelta, after a potential finish in the Canary Islands didn’t come to fruition. Usually, the final stage is reserved for the sprinters or the time trial specialists, however, it appears that this won’t be the case in 2026.

On the final city circuit, the climb to the Alhambra will spice things up, serving as a launchpad for attacks. This tricky ascent will put the fast men in trouble and is designed for explosive racing. 

The fifth and final ascent of the climb takes the riders to the finish line, which means a unique ending to the Vuelta, with either a solo winner dancing their way up the climb to victory, or an explosive uphill sprint to decide the final stage winner and secure the general classification standings in the history books.