Vuelta a España Vuelta 2026 route rumours

[vappaxbipmv]

Read the comment @improb made in the "rate the Giro 2025 route" thread. Apparently there are serious talks behind the curtain to move the Giro

 

[ice&fire]

This is more recent that whatever was said one year ago:

'We're not even going to think about the idea' – RCS firmly against Tadej Pogačar's suggestion to switch Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España dates

Italian race organiser only open to a one week move into June to benefit from better weather and Italian national holiday

www.cyclingnews.com

Who was leading the request for swapping dates between the Giro and the Vuelta? Adam Hansen?

 

[Red Rick]

This is more recent that whatever was said one year ago:

'We're not even going to think about the idea' – RCS firmly against Tadej Pogačar's suggestion to switch Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España dates

Italian race organiser only open to a one week move into June to benefit from better weather and Italian national holiday

www.cyclingnews.com

Who was leading the request for swapping dates between the Giro and the Vuelta? Adam Hansen?

Tadej Pogacar.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

This is more recent that whatever was said one year ago:

'We're not even going to think about the idea' – RCS firmly against Tadej Pogačar's suggestion to switch Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España dates

Italian race organiser only open to a one week move into June to benefit from better weather and Italian national holiday

www.cyclingnews.com

Who was leading the request for swapping dates between the Giro and the Vuelta? Adam Hansen?

What is said publicly is often really not relevant. I'd rather trust behind the scenes talks if there are any known, like in this case

 

[gavia88]

I think switching Giro and Vuelta every year, would be really great.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

A big problem with switching the Giro and Vuelta that nobody seems to want to address is that it's incompatible with the Italian autumn calendar. This year, there were five Italian pro one-day races that coincided with the Vuelta, and given how packed the Italian calendar is in the period between the Vuelta and the end of the season I don't see where you're supposed to move them. It also causes the problem that you'd ideally want to switch Tour of the Alps and Burgos too, which is climatologically advantageous but problematic in all other respects: they don't run on the same days of the week and having the Tour of the Alps in the middle of the summer tourist season is a logistical nightmare.

 

[staubsauger]

A big problem with switching the Giro and Vuelta that nobody seems to want to address is that it's incompatible with the Italian autumn calendar. This year, there were five Italian pro one-day races that coincided with the Vuelta, and given how packed the Italian calendar is in the period between the Vuelta and the end of the season I don't see where you're supposed to move them. It also causes the problem that you'd ideally want to switch Tour of the Alps and Burgos too, which is climatologically advantageous but problematic in all other respects: they don't run on the same days of the week and having the Tour of the Alps in the middle of the summer tourist season is a logistical nightmare.

Giro d'Italia would be run in September since in August hotels ain't available in Italy due to tourism season.

So you would need to spread the Italian fall classics between August & October probably!

Frankly, I would rather expect the Tour de Suisse to take a spot somewhere at the end of August if the Giro d'Italia moves to fall!

 

[OlavEH]

So you would need to spread the Italian fall classics between August & October probably!

Or move some of them to May.....?

 

[ice&fire]

There will be a flat stage in the region near the Ebro river delta. They're searching for the wind, but I'm afraid the wind ain't there in late August. They discarded the suggestions to have gravel roads and Lo Port (Mont Caro)

La Vuelta llegará a las Terres de l’Ebre por primera vez en el siglo XXI

La próxima ronda española se presenta el miércoles día 17 en Mónaco con la inclusión en el recorrido de un final de etapa en el sur de Catalunya por donde no pasaba la prueba desde 1999.

www.elperiodico.com

And more rumours about the mountain stage in Granada near the coast, although the way it is written it may as well be a stage departure from the coast to finish at the usual mountain destination in the area.

La Costa Tropical acogerá una etapa de la Vuelta Ciclista a España 2026

La organización quiere terminar en la Alhambra, aunque para eso hace falta el permiso del Patronato

www.granadahoy.com

 

[Forever The Best]

So how are the rumoured mountain stages?
2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023 were better routes than the previous even years routes but 2024 was better than 2025, so maybe even year routes can be better than odd year routes nowadays?

 

[staubsauger]

Or move some of them to May.....?

Yeah, sure. That would actually accompany my puncheurs racing block scenario, you're right!

 

[ice&fire]

Ciclo21 says there will be a MTF at Valdelinares

Vuelta España 2026: Presentación el 17-D en Mónaco - Ciclo21

Información de la 81ª edición de la gran ronda española del calendario UCI World Tour

www.ciclo21.com

In another news, stage 20 will be Almuñécar - Loja

La Vuelta Ciclista a España 2026 pasará por la Costa Tropical

La carrera finalizará en Granada y la penúltima etapa tendrá su salida en Almuñécar, pasando por Salobreña y Motril antes de finalizar en Loja

www.cope.es

Looking at the map two things are sure: there is no Sierra Nevada in that stage and there is no hard climb anywhere close to the finish.

 

[Rockestar_33]

Just looked at the time it's supposed to start on Thursday (for me) and it's 5 am. To get up or not to get up? The Giro was at like 3 and Tour at 10 (both days where I had a 6 am start) so decided to skip those but 5 am when I have a day off is tempting...

 

[ice&fire]

Albacete's local newspaper brings the news to its front page (!), but no details about the route or finish place. The headline on the printed edition literally says they will have two stages, but the text it's not conclusive on whether that's two stage finishes or just a stage finish and the next day departure.

https://www.latribunadealbacete.es/noticia/z0a097c6f-771e-432a-b358df51b0630d78/202512/albacete-y-su-sierra-estaran-en-la-vuelta

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Just looked at the time it's supposed to start on Thursday (for me) and it's 5 am. To get up or not to get up? The Giro was at like 3 and Tour at 10 (both days where I had a 6 am start) so decided to skip those but 5 am when I have a day off is tempting...

If the Tour and Giro presentations are anything to go by, you can get up at 6am and miss nothing

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

If the Tour and Giro presentations are anything to go by, you can get up at 6am and miss nothing

If the Tour and Giro presentations are anything to go by, you can get up at 9:30am and miss nothing: these are really not highly entertaining events.

 

[ice&fire]

If the Tour and Giro presentations are anything to go by, you can get up at 9:30am and miss nothing: these are really not highly entertaining events.

The entertainment is in the reactions around here

 

[OlavEH]

So for now;

Andorra, probably MTF
Vadelinares MTF
Pandera MTF
Penas Blancas MTF
Something in the mountains south of Albacete?
Something in Sierra Nevada?

@ice&fire: Have I forgot something of MTFs or mountain stages?

 

[ice&fire]

So for now;

Andorra, probably MTF
Vadelinares MTF
Pandera MTF
Penas Blancas MTF
Something in the mountains south of Albacete?
Something in Sierra Nevada?

@ice&fire: Have I forgot something of MTFs or mountain stages?

Aitana.

 

[OlavEH]

Aitana.

But nothing concrete on Andorra and mountain stage south of Albacete?

 

[Rockestar_33]

So for now;

Andorra, probably MTF
Vadelinares MTF
Pandera MTF
Penas Blancas MTF
Something in the mountains south of Albacete?
Something in Sierra Nevada?

@ice&fire: Have I forgot something of MTFs or mountain stages?

SBS (Aussie broadcaster) have hinted at L'Angliru again next year again.

 

[OlavEH]

SBS (Aussie broadcaster) have hinted at L'Angliru again next year again

For 2026 you mean?

 

[ice&fire]

But nothing concrete on Andorra and mountain stage south of Albacete?

Nope.
There are rumours on forums about a mountain stage in France before entering Andorra.
For the mountains in Albacete, the climbs that could be ranked as cat1 (Borriqueta and Monte Ardal) are around the town of Yeste, but we might get a stage full of cat2 and cat3 climbs somewhere else.
We also now that all the provinces in Andalucia will host a stage, so that opens the possibility of having something in the Calar Alto/Velefique area in Almería.
Some fans in forums are also in disbilief about yesterday's news of stage 20, which would not include Sierra Nevada. Maybe that's kept for the last day?

SBS (Aussie broadcaster) have hinted at L'Angliru again next year again.

Angliru lies like 600km from the closest point in the route we currently know.

 

[Rockestar_33]

For 2026 you mean?

Yes.

I'm hoping for Gamoniteiru to be in it as well, as unlikely as that is. That climb in 21 was brutal.

 

[Rockestar_33]

Nope.
There are rumours on forums about a mountain stage in France before entering Andorra.
For the mountains in Albacete, the climbs that could be ranked as cat1 (Borriqueta and Monte Ardal) are around the town of Yeste, but we might get a stage full of cat2 and cat3 climbs somewhere else.
We also now that all the provinces in Andalucia will host a stage, so that opens the possibility of having something in the Calar Alto/Velefique area in Almería.
Some fans in forums are also in disbilief about yesterday's news of stage 20, which would not include Sierra Nevada. Maybe that's kept for the last day?


Angliru lies like 600km from the closest point in the route we currently know.

Of which we know like 6 stages? I'd be surprised if they used it again this year but they'd have gotten something by now.