Vuelta a España Vuelta 2026 route rumours

[Netserk]

maybe even better than i could have hoped for

 

[gavia88]

Going through the whole thing: stages 6, 12 and the final weekend are legitimately exciting, the rest of the route definitely isn't. Andorra should have been harder and there are too many easier days, especially given that some of the flatter stages are in areas where you could have done something more exciting (stages 2, 8, 11, 13 and 15 are all obvious examples). Overall, it's a decent effort considering that they had to change so much at such a late hour with the Canaries pulling out.

I like it much more than the regular parcourses the Vuelta served. Proper queen stage, Possibility to Calor alto to do something before the finish. And a very tricky Andorra stage. You can't have bad legs at the start there. Of course, still a few to much stages only depending on the finish mountain. But with sterrato, and some tricky stages sprinters will not survive, one of the better Vuelta parcourses.

 

[Rou]

Awesome route!

 

[Netserk]

Stage profiles are already on the Vuelta web site

Am I seeing sterrato in the last climb of stage 6?

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0844166,0.0462801,3a,73.7y,358.93h,82.69t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sCOJ0fUnI0JZ5ZfruLr_96Q!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D7.310000000000002%26panoid%3DCOJ0fUnI0JZ5ZfruLr_96Q%26yaw%3D358.93!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

 

[Netserk]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2001372536685412356

View: https://x.com/ammattipyoraily/status/2001372536685412356

 

[Netserk]

looks like the vuelta will be the stage race with most itt km of the year

 

[CyclistAbi]

Can't wait for this beauty to unfold.

 

[ice&fire]

Can't wait for this beauty to unfold.

Landscape won't contribute much to the beauty, though

 

[jackbh]

They got many things right this time...

No fear for a next day climb on 4,7,9,12,14.

Pacing of 17-21 is topnotch... ...so is 12-14. 3&4 will be fun and so is a bit of gravel.

Only 16 looks like a WTF.

Impressive! A pure 8.99/10

 

[Rockestar_33]

Don't mind the 6 "flat" stages. 3 have categorised climbs within 25 km of the finish and as such will make it tough for the pure sprinters to win if your puncheurs attack up the climb or make it hard for them, and Granada is an uphill finish which will suit those guys as well.

Really like stages 4, 6, 9, 12 and obviously 20

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Stage 16 should be a hard stage, otherwise it's a great route. Probably too much ITT for Paul double, I would stick to giro - tour in 2026 and reduce the risk of skin cancer

 

[YavorD]

Stage 16 should be a hard stage, otherwise it's a great route. Probably too much ITT for Paul double, I would stick to giro - tour in 2026 and reduce the risk of skin cancer

So you're sending Double to do the double?
Hopefully Double isn't done by the double.

 

[Tim Cahill]

So you're sending Double to do the double?
Hopefully Double isn't done by the double.

When Argentina line up for the World Cup and Copa America it only makes sense that they will have Messi in the team.

 

[YavorD]

When Argentina line up for the World Cup and Copa America it only makes sense that they will have Messi in the team.

Time to rename Double's thread to Paul Double - Messi of Cycling?

 

[KZD]

Decent route for Vuelta standards but could have been much better, if the Canary Islands hadn't opt out - 5/10.

+ Week 1 is good
+ Stage 20 is a real queen stage
+ decent amount of TT kilometers

- too many flat stages
- week 2 and week 3 are too easy
- lacks a murito finish

Overall I think its a pretty good route for someone like Almeida or for Milan to complete the points jersey treble.

 

[gavia88]

I only think the Pandera stage or the Penas Blancas stage, is one stage to much depending on the finish climb. However, for the Jean province a better mountain stage would have been dificult to create. They could have done a double Penas Blancas climb and finish in Estepona. Besides that, I like the parcourse. We can complain about the hardness of the Andorra stage, but hey, it's stage 4 and besides, the shortness of the stage can be it trickyness. Everyone coming undercooked in the Vuelta, will suffer on those first 2 climbs, after a wild start where attackers will try to get away. If someone important loose contact with the peloton, it can be a really interesting stage.

 

[YavorD]

A bit surprising that I don't see any finish on a typical Vuelta garage ramp, is there?
I think at least one of the flat-ish stages should've finished ot a murito.

 

[Netserk]

I only think the Pandera stage or the Penas Blancas stage, is one stage to much depending on the finish climb. However, for the Jean province a better mountain stage would have been dificult to create.

have a stage finish in jaén or úbeda

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48174222

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48179253

 

[Valv.Piti]

Love stage 20. My favorite climb again done at least twice, with Purche as well, and this new exciting MTF. Hardest stage of the year?

 

[ice&fire]

Those who know the sterrato climb in stage 6 say the only way to descend includes sections at 20% paved with concrete.

The sterrato in Jaen is a no go against La Pandera, though.

 

[ice&fire]

Love stage 20. My favorite climb again done at least twice, with Purche as well, and this new exciting MTF. Hardest stage of the year?

But still the hardest climb is the last one.

 

[Netserk]

Those who know the sterrato climb in stage 6 say the only way to descend includes sections at 20% paved with concrete.

The sterrato in Jaen is a no go against La Pandera, though.

i dont think it will look like this when the race passes by:

Street View · Google Maps

Ort in Google Maps noch intensiver erleben.

www.google.com

 

[Red Rick]

Hazallanas is plenty hard to go early, as we saw in 2024.

To me it's about as hard as the dolomites stage in the Giro, with tactics and weather deciding which one is harder.

 

[Valv.Piti]

But still the hardest climb is the last one.

Sure, and then what? Its the last real stage, so riders will still go from Hazallananes if you need to. The MTF is a safety blanket which assures something will happen even if the stage wont be great.

Definitely no complaints. Its basically a buffed up 2024 stage

 

[Valv.Piti]

And they got a buffed up version of Monmartre 2025 as well. Well, probably a lot harder than that. Are we finally seeing the end of the god awful sprint while nothing happens on stage 21? I certainly hope so!