The penultimate stage of the Vuelta a España 2026 runs 187 kilometers from La Calahorra, a village beneath a Renaissance castle in the Marquesado del Zenete, to the summit of Collado del Alguacil, a narrow pass above Granada. This is the last full mountain stage of the race, and it arrives with more than five thousand meters of climbing spread across a route that includes the double ascent of Hazallanas and the Puerto de la Purche before the final climb begins.
The finish is 8.3 kilometers at an average gradient steep enough to make any earlier effort count double. If the general classification is still in doubt by the time the race reaches Andalusia, this stage will settle it. If it is already decided, this is the last chance for a rider with ambition and legs to take a stage win that means something.
What does the route do?
La Calahorra sits at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada, and the stage moves west through the high valleys of Granada province. The climbing begins early and never fully relents. Hazallanas appears twice, first as a long drag and then as a steeper return. The Puerto de la Purche, a first-category climb, crests with just over thirty kilometers remaining, leaving enough road for a regrouping but not enough to erase the fatigue.
The final ascent to Collado del Alguacil is short but severe. The gradients push into double digits for extended stretches, and the road narrows as it climbs. There is no flat section to recover, no technical descent to navigate. It is a pure test of what remains in the third week.
How will it race?
This is the last full invitation to attack the general classification from distance. Teams that need time have almost no reason to wait for the final climb. The combination of Hazallanas, Purche, and the steep finish creates multiple opportunities to apply pressure, and any team with a deficit and a strong climbing group will likely try to force the issue before the road tilts upward for the last time.
If the GC is tight, expect the race to splinter on Purche. If it is already settled, the stage becomes a target for climbers who have spent two weeks in service or who have lost time earlier and now have the freedom to ride for themselves. A breakaway that goes early and includes strong climbers could survive if the GC teams are content to mark each other, but the finish is hard enough that only riders with genuine climbing legs will stay away.
Who fits the stage?
A pure climber with deep reserves for the third week is the clearest match. The cumulative load of the Vuelta route, combined with the severity of the final climb, favors riders who can sustain power on steep gradients after two weeks of racing. Enric Mas, Primoz Roglic, and Mikel Landa are all confirmed on the startlist and fit the profile, though their roles will depend on where they stand in the overall classification by the time the race reaches Granada.
If the GC is still open, this stage will be raced as a time trial in all but name, with teams driving the pace on Purche and the final climb turning into a pure power test. If the GC is settled, look for a climber who has been waiting for a stage win to go long, possibly on Hazallanas or Purche, and try to hold the gap over the top of Collado del Alguacil.
The full startlist for the Vuelta a España 2026 will firm up closer to the race, and the route context around this stage is available on the main edition page. The stage page itself is the best place to track timing and route updates as the race approaches.