Vuelta sets off from Monaco: 3,275 kilometres to Granada and the return of Pogacar
The eighty-first edition of the Spanish race kicks off on Saturday with a 9.4-kilometre time trial in the Principality and concludes on 13 September. Six high-mountain stages and a twentieth stage redesigned after February's landslides.
The 81st Vuelta a España starts on Saturday 22 August from Monte Carlo and finishes on 13 September in Granada. The route measures 3,275 kilometres spread over 21 stages: four hilly, four flat, four medium-mountain, two time trials and six high-mountain. This is according to the official presentation of the route, reported by Sky Sport.
The start from a principality overlooking the French Mediterranean, for a race that ends in Andalusia, is the choice that defines this edition: the first stage is an individual time trial of 9.4 kilometres entirely within the borders of Monaco. Nine kilometres against the clock do not decide a three-week race, but they determine who wears the jersey on the first day and force the general classification riders to arrive in form from the very start.
| Item | Data |
|---|---|
| Edition | 81st |
| Start | 22 August, Monte Carlo |
| Finish | 13 September, Granada |
| Kilometres | 3,275 |
| Stages | 21 |
| High mountain | 6 |
| Time trials | 2 |
The distribution of difficulties. Six high-mountain stages plus four medium-mountain stages mean that ten stages out of twenty-one, almost half, have a profile on which the classification can shift. The two time trials — one of which is the very short Monegasque opener — reduce the space for time-trial specialists: the race rewards those who climb.
The case of the twentieth stage. The route of the La Calahorra-Collado del Alguacil stage was officially modified on 7 August 2026, with the exclusion of the Alto de Hazallanas due to the landslides caused by February’s bad weather. This is according to the guide based on the update of the official route page. It is a change that comes fifteen days before the start and concerns the penultimate stage, that is, the last opportunity to overturn the classification: removing a climb in that position changes the calculation for those who need to make up time.
Who is there. Tadej Pogacar is taking part in the Vuelta for the second time in his career. The first time was in 2019, which he finished in third place overall with three stage wins. A victory would allow him to complete the Triple Crown of the grand tours, that is, winning all three of the major stage races. The editorial team of Quotidiano Sportivo reconstructs the start lists and team statements.
The defending champion is Jonas Vingegaard, who won in 2025 ahead of João Almeida and Tom Pidcock. Last year’s podium therefore comprises three riders with different characteristics — an all-round climber, a grand-tour climber and a versatile rider — and the new route, with ten mountain stages and little time-trialling, does not clearly favour any of the three over the others.
The sources consulted do not report the complete list of entered teams nor the names of riders announced by the teams beyond those mentioned: any last-minute withdrawals or additions remain outside this account.
The first measurable data arrives on Saturday afternoon: the times from the 9.4-kilometre time trial will reveal what condition the favourites arrived in, three weeks before Granada.
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