Vuelta a España Vuelta 2026 route rumours

[vappaxbipmv]

We are one month from the route presentation and Unipublic is doing a great job at preventing leaks, surely because that's the best recipe to prevent criticism.

Here are some new rumours from interweb forums:
1) MTF at Aitana in the second week.

2) Mid-mountain stage in the sierras South of Albacete. This is a region never visited before by any proffesional race. Rumours say the stage finish will be at Yeste, but I'm not sure if they'll resist the temptation to finish at the nearby Monte Ardal.

3) After that, the race will go to Andalucía with stages in the provinces of Jaén, Granada, Málaga and an ITT at Jerez before the transfer to the Canary Islands. The stage in Granada is rumoured to be in the mountains.

Didn't Canary Islands say they don't want to host the Vuelta, as far as I know that's their most recent position

 

[CyclistAbi]

Didn't Canary Islands say they don't want to host the Vuelta, as far as I know that's their most recent position

No.

 

[ice&fire]

Didn't Canary Islands say they don't want to host the Vuelta, as far as I know that's their most recent position

That was linked to the presence of IPT in the race. Since the team has metamorphosed the Canary Islands stages are still on the cards.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

That was linked to the presence of IPT in the race. Since the team has metamorphosed the Canary Islands stages are still on the cards.

Fair enough, thanks

 

[vappaxbipmv]

No Vuelta in Canary Islands next year it seems after all

Link

 

[ice&fire]

No problema

Unipublic's sock puppet just published some nonsense about the hardest climb in Spain never featured in the Vuelta, as if we had forgotten what happened the last time the race was in its vicinity.

Ni Angliru ni Ancares: este es el puerto de montaña más duro al que nunca ha subido la Vuelta

La carrera ya ha convertido en mito a grandes puertos como el Angliru, Ancares o el Gamoniteiru, pero todavía guarda en la recámara un grande que sigue espe

as.com

 

[Rob5091]

So forget a trip to the spanish isles to see the Vuelta ...
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...unding-former-israel-linked-team-premier-tech

Gran Canaria’s authorities point to the turbulence seen during the 2025 Vuelta, where several stages were disrupted by protests and the race ultimately ended with an improvised podium ceremony in an underground garage in Madrid. They maintain that a cosmetic administrative change is unlikely to prevent similar situations, and that aligning the island’s image with a potentially volatile edition of the race would be unwise....Speaking to La Provincia, Aridany Romero commented: “Several months ago, both the president — Antonio Morales — and I made clear that Gran Canaria did not want its name associated with the Vuelta a Espana while Israel-Premier Tech were competing.”

 

[OlavEH]

Unipublic's sock puppet just published some nonsense about the hardest climb in Spain never featured in the Vuelta, as if we had forgotten what happened the last time the race was in its vicinity.

Pico Veleta? How high is that paved at the moment? Further than the ski station at about 2500m?

 

[Red Rick]

Pico Veleta? How high is that paved at the moment? Further than the ski station at about 2500m?

Think it's up until the junction with the pass from the south at 3200m, but it seems to be poor quality asphalt.

Real problem is just always gonna be environmental regulations.

 

[houtdffan]

Think it's up until the junction with the pass from the south at 3200m, but it seems to be poor quality asphalt.

Real problem is just always gonna be environmental regulations.

Wonder if using it as a pass would be better then

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Wonder if using it as a pass would be better then

It's one-way. To make it a pass (in cycling terms not in geographical sense) you could only go up to 2200m and that takes away the main reason you would add it as a climb.

 

[staubsauger]

It's one-way. To make it a pass (in cycling terms not in geographical sense) you could only go up to 2200m and that takes away the main reason you would add it as a climb.

The gravel road is a pass actually. If I remember correctly you come out on the road where the 2015 Vuelta a Espana stage won by Lindeman finished.

But there's no way they gonna pave that. They won't even get permission to do a mtf at the peak or at least the final parking lot!

 

[ice&fire]

The two final stages will be hosted in the province of Granada.

La Vuelta 2026 acabará en Granada | Ideal

La penúltima etapa discurrirá por la provincia granadina y el final de la carrera española será en la capital

www.ideal.es

Last stage will finish at the city. For the second last stage the article discards Sierra Nevada but mentions the possibility of the coastal region and the Alpujarras valley, They are teasing us with Haza del Lino.

 

[OlavEH]

The two final stages will be hosted in the province of Granada.

La Vuelta 2026 acabará en Granada | Ideal

La penúltima etapa discurrirá por la provincia granadina y el final de la carrera española será en la capital

www.ideal.es

Last stage will finish at the city. For the second last stage the article discards Sierra Nevada but mentions the possibility of the coastal region and the Alpujarras valley, They are teasing us with Haza del Lino.

So no Canaries stages?

 

[Red Rick]

Wonder if using it as a pass would be better then

On my list of "things that are never gonna happen" this makes the top. I vaguely remember mapping it on googlemaps, and while the gradients are surprisingly shallow, it's just like 30km of gravel climbing starting from like 1500m altitude.

 

[aphronesis]

Sounds great.