Stage Preview
Linked articleStage 9: La Vila Joiosa/ Villajoyosa to Alto de Aitana.Costa Blanca | Vuelta a España 2026 Preview
Stage 9 of the Vuelta a España 2026 runs 187.5 kilometers from La Vila Joiosa on the Costa Blanca coast to the summit of Alto de Aitana, the highest peak in the province of Alicante. Six categorized climbs and more than five thousand meters of elevation gain close out the first week. This is not a stage that waits politely for the final climb to make its selections. The Costa Blanca in late August means heat, and the route spends most of the day inland among the dry ridges and limestone valleys that rise steadily away from the Mediterranean. The climbs are not individually monstrous, but they arrive in quick…
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