Published August 13, 2026 05:22PM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Tadej Poga\u010dar is back at the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a for the first time in seven years, and the five-time Tour de France winner headlines the season\u2019s third and final grand tour.<\/p>\n
Poga\u010dar hasn\u2019t raced the Vuelta since his spectacular grand tour debut in 2019, when he won three stages and finished third overall at just 20 years old.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s cycling superstar returns at the peak of his powers with a chance to complete the career grand tour sweep. A victory in Granada would add the Vuelta to his Tour and Giro titles and make him only the ninth man to win all three.<\/p>\n
And this is a Vuelta built for Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n
The 2026 route packs more than 58,000 meters of climbing and seven summit finishes into three weeks. That\u2019s even more vertical gain than the 2026 Tour de France, and reconfirms the Vuelta\u2019s reputation as the climber\u2019s grand tour.<\/p>\n
The race starts August 22 in Monaco, practically on Poga\u010dar\u2019s doorstep, and finishes September 13 in Granada.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the 2026 Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a.<\/p>\n
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Poga\u010dar is back<\/h2>\nPoga\u010dar was only 20 the last time he raced La Vuelta, winning three stages and finishing third overall. <\/span> (Photo: Justin Setterfield\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The big story of the 2026 Vuelta is that Poga\u010dar is back.<\/p>\n
Seven years after his spectacular Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a debut in 2019, the five-time Tour de France winner will be on the start line in Monaco as the overwhelming favorite of the 2026 race.<\/p>\n
Poga\u010dar was only 20 when he lined up at the 2019 Vuelta for his first Grand Tour. He left Spain three weeks later with three stage victories, the white jersey and third place overall, an extraordinary debut that provided the first real glimpse of storm that was coming.<\/p>\n
A lot has changed since then.<\/p>\n
King Pog returns with five Tour victories, the 2024 Giro d\u2019Italia, two world titles and a growing collection of wins. La Vuelta is one of the last blank spots on his palmar\u00e8s<\/em>.<\/p>\n
The 2026 course gives him plenty of opportunities to change that. Seven summit finishes and two individual time trials are packed into nearly 3,300km of racing before the final stage in Granada.<\/p>\n
Poga\u010dar can complete the Grand Tour sweep<\/h2>\n
Victory in Granada would put Poga\u010dar into one of cycling\u2019s most exclusive clubs.<\/p>\n
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With the Tour and Giro already on his r\u00e9sum\u00e9, winning the Vuelta would make him only the ninth male rider to win all three Grand Tours during his career.<\/p>\n
The others are Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, Chris Froome and Jonas Vingegaard.<\/p>\n
How many stages can Tadej Poga\u010dar win?<\/h2>\n
As many as he wants. The bigger question is how aggressively Poga\u010dar wants to race La Vuelta.<\/p>\n
Poga\u010dar has won 35 stages across nine Grand Tour starts. Even in the 2023 Tour de France, when Jonas Vingegaard beat him for the yellow jersey, a hobbled Poga\u010dar still won twice. Every other Grand Tour he has started has produced at least three stage victories.<\/p>\n
His high-water mark is six, a number he hit twice in 2024, first at the Giro d\u2019Italia and then at the Tour de France.<\/p>\n
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This Vuelta offers enough climbing and time trialing for another huge haul, but there is another calculation in play. The world championships in Montr\u00e9al arrive only two weeks after the Vuelta finishes, and Poga\u010dar may not want to empty the tank chasing stages every single day.<\/p>\n
Count at least three. If he races the Vuelta with the same appetite he has shown at his most dominant Grand Tours, the number could climb much higher.<\/p>\n
Key Facts: 2026 Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a<\/h2>\nJonas Vingegaard won the 2025 Vuelta, but will not defend his title. <\/span> (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Dates<\/strong>: August 22 to September 13, 2026 Gran Salida<\/strong>: Monaco Finish<\/strong>: Granada, Spain Total Distance<\/strong>: 3,275km \/ 2,035 miles Total Elevation Gain<\/strong>: More than 58,000m \/ 190,289 feet Total Stages<\/strong>: 21 Rest Days<\/strong>: 2 Flat Stages<\/strong>: 4 Hilly Stages<\/strong>: 5, including one uphill finale Mountain Stages<\/strong>: 6 Summit Finishes<\/strong>: 7 Team Time Trial<\/strong>: 0 Individual Time Trials<\/strong>: 2 Prize Money<\/strong>: The official total is not yet confirmed, but in 2025, the total prize pool was \u20ac1,115,775. The overall general classification winner (red jersey) received \u20ac150,000. Teams<\/strong>: 23 Riders<\/strong>: 184<\/p>\n
What\u2019s different about the 2026 Vuelta?<\/h2>\nThe Vuelta won\u2019t hit home roads until stage 5. <\/span> (Photo: Harry Talbot\/Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Cycling\u2019s third grand tour, the 2026 Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a traces roads across Monaco, France, and Andorra before hitting home roads in Spain.<\/p>\n
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It will start on August 22 in Monaco and finish September 13 in Granada. This will be the 81st edition La Vuelta, the \u201cyoungest\u201d of the men\u2019s three grand tours.<\/p>\n
April to September<\/strong><\/h2>\n
La Vuelta was originally contested in the spring, bouncing between April and May. That always put it on a collision course with the Giro d\u2019Italia in May. In 1995, organizers moved the Vuelta to its current August\u2013September slot.<\/p>\n
That changed everything, and helped turn La Vuelta into a race perfect for anyone in the peloton looking to save their season or for rising prospects to earn their spot.<\/p>\n
Seventh foreign start<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Unlike the other grand tours, La Vuelta was late to the \u201cforeign start\u201d game. Its first was Lisbon in 1997. Monaco marks the seventh \u201cextranjero\u201d start for the Spanish grand tour.<\/p>\n
In contrast, the Tour de France started in 1954 in Amsterdam and has started outside France 27 times. The Giro has gone beyond Italy\u2019s boot 16 times, with Bulgaria the latest in 2026.<\/p>\n
Monaco \u2018triple crown\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n
According to Monaco officials, the principality is the first city or country to host the opening stage of all three grand tours.<\/p>\n
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The Giro\u2019s Grande Partenza<\/em> in 1966 was the first time Monaco played host to start of a grand tour. The 2009 Tour started there with a 15.5km time trial with Fabian Cancellara winning. The 2026 Vuelta completes the treble with a 9.4km time trial.<\/p>\n
All 21 Stages: From Monaco to Granada<\/h2>\nThe 2026 Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a route map. <\/span> (Photo: La Vuelta )<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Week 1: Monaco, France, Andorra, and northern Spain<\/strong> \nThe first week of the Vuelta is interesting because after its start in Monaco, the route sweeps west across France and Andorra and does not hit Spain until stage 5 by entering via Catalunya.<\/p>\n
Stage 1 (Aug 22)<\/strong>: Monaco-Monaco (9.4 km) \u2013 Individual time trial Stage 2 (Aug 23)<\/strong>: Monaco to Manosque (215.2 km) \u2013 Hilly Stage 3 (Aug 24)<\/strong>: Gruissan to Font-Romeu (166.7 km) \u2013 Medium mountains Stage 4 (Aug 25)<\/strong>: Andorra la Vella to Andorra la Vella (104 km) \u2013 Mountain Stage 5 (Aug 26)<\/strong>: Falset to Roquetes (Terres de l\u2019Ebre) \u2013 Hilly Stage 6 (Aug 27)<\/strong>: Alcossebre to Castell\u00f3 \u2013 Flat Stage 7 (Aug 28)<\/strong>: Vall d\u2019Alba to Aram\u00f3n Valdelinares \u2013 Mountain (summit finish) Stage 8 (Aug 29)<\/strong>: Pu\u00e7ol to Xeraco \u2013 Flat Stage 9 (Aug 30)<\/strong>: La Vila Joiosa to Alto de Aitana (Costa Blanca) \u2013 Mountain (summit finish) Rest Day 1 (Aug 31)<\/strong><\/p>\n
Week 2: Central and Southern Spain<\/strong> \nThe second week should see consolidation in the GC with two key summit finales as the route drives south along the Mediterranean before hitting the interior of Andaluc\u00eda.<\/p>\n
Stage 10 (Sep 01)<\/strong>: Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra \u2013 Hilly Stage 11 (Sep 02)<\/strong>: Cartagena to Lorca \u2013 Flat Stage 12 (Sep 03)<\/strong>: Vera to Calar Alto \u2013 Mountain (summit finish) Stage 13 (Sep 04)<\/strong>: Almu\u00f1\u00e9car to Loja \u2013 Medium mountains Stage 14 (Sep 05)<\/strong>: Ja\u00e9n to Sierra de la Pandera \u2013 Mountain (summit finish) Stage 15 (Sep 06)<\/strong>: Palma del R\u00edo to C\u00f3rdoba \u2013 Hilly\/uphill kicker Rest Day 2 (Sep 07)<\/strong><\/p>\n
Week 3: Andaluc\u00eda and the Decisive Time Trial<\/strong> \nExtreme heat could be on the menu as the route stays centered within sun-parched Andaluc\u00eda before the historic finale in Granada.<\/p>\n
Stage 16 (Sep 08)<\/strong>: Cortegana to La R\u00e1bida (Palos de la Frontera) \u2013 Flat Stage 17 (Sep 09)<\/strong>: Dos Hermanas to Seville \u2013 Flat Stage 18 (Sep 10)<\/strong>: El Puerto de Santa Mar\u00eda to Jerez de la Frontera (32 km) \u2013 Individual time trial Stage 19 (Sep 11)<\/strong>: V\u00e9lez-M\u00e1laga to Pe\u00f1as Blancas (Estepona) \u2013 Mountain (summit finish) Stage 20 (Sep 12)<\/strong>: La Calahorra to Collado del Alguacil \u2013 Mountain (Queen Stage\/summit finish) Stage 21 (Sep 13)<\/strong>: Carrefour Granada to Granada \u2013 Flat<\/p>\n
Who are the favorites for the red jersey?<\/h2>\nPoga\u010dar dominated the Tour and is the absolute top favorite for victory at La Vuelta. <\/span> (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Tadej Poga\u010dar, come on, who\u2019s going to beat him?<\/p>\n
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King Pog is now at the peak of his powers, and his third at the 2019 Vuelta is his worse grand tour result ever.<\/p>\n
A win here makes him the ninth elite male to win all three of cycling\u2019s grand tours. Not that he needs any extra motivation. Pogi always shows up to win.<\/p>\n
Of course, a race is a race, and anything could happen, but Pogac\u010dar is in a class of one as the only five-star favorite.<\/p>\n
There are a whole slew of riders who will race in his slipstream. Almost no one on this list has directly challenged him, so it could be a race for the leftovers very soon.<\/p>\n
Still, a podium behind Poga\u010dar is still a place of honor and the Vuelta field is full of riders keen to save their seasons and confirm their spot in the GC hierarchy.<\/p>\n
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Jo\u00e3o Almeida<\/strong> (UAE Emirates-XRG): Poga\u010dar\u2019s own teammate and the 2025 Vuelta runner-up. A nasty crash in Poland an injury-plague season might see him on domestique duties. Enric Mas<\/strong> (Movistar): The local Spanish favorite who\u2019s hit three career podium finishes at the Vuelta. Beating Pog is a stretch, but a podium would save his season after missing the Tour. Mattias Skjelmose<\/strong> (Lidl-Trek): A rising Danish star who raced to sixth in the Tour and will be chasing his first career grand tour podium. Cian Uijtdebroeks<\/strong> (Movistar): The Belgian climber will be co-leading alongside Mas and will want a strong Vuelta after abandoning the Tour early. Carlos Rodr\u00edguez<\/strong> (Netcompany Ineos): One of Spain\u2019s best climbers, he will want a solid three weeks after a few rough season. He also skipped the Tour, so it\u2019s all-in at La Vuelta. Felix Gall<\/strong> (Decathlon CGA CGM): An aggressive climber capable of tearing the GC group apart on high-altitude summit finishes. A big win at the Vuelta a Burgos proves he\u2019s on track. Mikel Landa<\/strong> (Soudal Quick-Step): A veteran fan-favorite known for launching chaotic, unpredictable, long-range attacks to disrupt the race favorites. Oscar Onley<\/strong> (Netcompany-Ineos): After missing the Tour de France with injury, he\u2019ll want to prove last year\u2019s Tour breakout was no fluke.<\/p>\n
Other big names<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Wout Van Aert<\/strong> (Visma Lease-a-Bike), Mads Pedersen<\/strong> (Lidl-Trek), and Stefan Kung<\/strong> (Tudor Pro Cycling) will light up the breakaways, time trials, and classics-style profiles. Four-time Vuelta winner Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d<\/strong> (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) is a question mark after being struck by a motorist in late July.<\/p>\n
What North Americans are racing La Vuelta?<\/strong><\/h2>\nKuss, shown here at the Tour, is the last American to win a grand tour with the 2023 Vuelta. <\/span> (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
North Americans have always done well at La Vuelta, with Sepp Kuss<\/strong> and his 2023 Vuelta win as the last U.S. grand tour winner.<\/p>\n
Kevin Vermaerke<\/strong> is confirmed as part of Pogi\u2019s support crew at UAE. Right now, he\u2019s the only confirmed U.S. starter.<\/p>\n
Matthew Riccitello<\/strong> (Decathlon- CMA CGM), fifth last year, is expected to race. Kuss and Matteo Jorgenson<\/strong> are both penciled in for Visma-Lease a Bike and maybe Neilson Powless<\/strong> for EF Education-EasyPost.<\/p>\n
The final start list comes out next week.<\/p>\n
Every changing jersey<\/h2>\n
The overall leader of the Tour de France famously wears yellow of the maillot jaune<\/em>, but the Vuelta\u2019s leader jersey has undergone a colorful transformation over the decades.<\/p>\n
In the first Vuelta in 1935, the race leader\u2019s jersey was orange. Over the years it morphed from different color schemes, depending largely on which sponsor was backing the jersey.<\/p>\n
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After ASO bought into La Vuelta, the jersey switched to yellow and then a golden color. From 2010, La Vuelta now has its iconic maillot rojo (red jersey).<\/p>\n
Oldest male grand tour winner<\/h2>\n
La Vuelta holds the definitive record for the oldest male rider to ever win a three-week Grand Tour. In 2013, American cyclist Chris Horner won the overall classification at 41, defeating Alejandro Valverde and Vincenzo Nibali to take the win.<\/p>\n
How to watch 2026 Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a<\/h2>\nThe 2025 Vuelta ended under a cloud of protest, but riders celebrated anyway with an impromptu podium ceremony. <\/span> (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
No matter where you live, you can get your Vuelta fix. A lot of that depends on if it\u2019s free through-the-air TV or streaming via a subscription.<\/p>\n
Major markets: USA<\/strong>: NBC\/Peacock Canada<\/strong>: FloBikes UK<\/strong>: TNT Sports\/HBO Max Australia<\/strong>: SBS Worldwide<\/strong>: Eurosport, RTVE, VRT, TV2, NOS, Supersport, J Sports, ESPN<\/p>\n
Stages typically finish between 17:00 CET and 17:30 CET, right at siesta time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Andrew Hood<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Published August 13, 2026 05:22PM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cyclingimages-2025-Vuelta-Stage-19-822266.jpg”] Andrew Hood Published August 13, 2026 05:22PM Tadej Poga\u010dar is back at the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a for the first time in seven years, and the five-time Tour de France winner headlines the season\u2019s third and final grand tour. Poga\u010dar hasn\u2019t raced the Vuelta since his spectacular grand tour debut in 2019, when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,71],"class_list":["post-2092744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2092744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2092744"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2092744\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2092744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2092744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2092744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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