Following · 22 August – 13 September 2026

La Vuelta a España

The 81st Vuelta begins in Monaco, slips through France and Andorra, then traces a wide arc across Spain to finish in Granada. More than 58,000 m of climbing — one of the toughest editions in the race's history.

Stages

21

Distance

~3,311 km

Start

Monaco

Finish

Granada

Three things to watch for

22 August

Stage 1 · Monaco prologue

A 9 km individual time trial around the principality. Glamour start, narrow streets, and small time gaps that ripple through the GC for the next three weeks.

10 September

Stage 18 · El Puerto → Jerez

32 km of flat-out time trialling through Andalucía's wine country. The biggest test of the race after Monaco — the last realistic chance to claw back time before the final mountains.

13 September

Stage 21 · Granada finale

La Vuelta finishes in Granada under the Alhambra for the first time, swapping the traditional Madrid parade for an Andalusian closing stage. Late-summer light, big crowds.

Recent winners

2025Jonas VingegaardVisma–Lease a Bike 2024Primož RogličBora-Hansgrohe 2023Sepp KussJumbo-Visma 2022Remco EvenepoelQuick-Step Alpha Vinyl 2021Primož RogličJumbo-Visma 2020Primož RogličJumbo-Visma

A short history

First held in 1935, La Vuelta has spent most of its life as the third of the three Grand Tours — slightly later in the calendar, slightly hotter, slightly wilder. The leader's jersey was originally orange, then white, then gold, and now the well-known maillot rojo: red.

The route specialises in short, brutal uphill finishes — the Angliru, Lagos de Covadonga, the Bola del Mundo. Where the Tour is a war of attrition, the Vuelta is built around stages that detonate in the final twenty minutes.

Classification guide

The jerseys

Every Grand Tour has its own visual language. These are the jerseys riders fight for across three weeks — each one marking a different race within the race.

General classification

Maillot Rojo

The overall race leader through Spain’s three-week Grand Tour.

Points classification

Maillot Verde

Awarded through stage finishes and intermediate sprints.

Mountains classification

Maillot Lunares

The climber’s jersey, earned over the hardest categorised climbs.

Young rider

Maillot Blanco

The highest placed eligible young rider on general classification.

Spanish & warm-weather kit in stock

Etxeondo, Gobik, Spiuk, Sportful, Santini — Spanish marques and warm-weather essentials for late-summer riding. Here's what's currently on the rack.