The final Grand Tour of the year is on the horizon as the peloton gathers in Monaco for the start of the Vuelta a Espana.
Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard will not take to the start line after winning the Giro d’Italia this spring before crashing and breaking his collarbone at the Tour de France last month.
But his great rival Tadej Pogacar - seemingly not content with the Dane completing the trio of grand tour victories before him - is the headline name as he returns to the Vuelta for the first time in seven years, after he finished third, winning three stages and the best young rider’s classification, in 2019.
The two-time world champion is, as always, the overwhelming favourite, even after his exploits winning a record-equalling fifth Tour de France this summer, while his UAE Team Emirates-XRG outfit have enough quality to complete a podium sweep, with Joao Almeida and Jay Vine in tow as super-domestiques.
Away from the general classification battle British starlet Matthew Brennan has been selected for his first grand tour, while the evenly-matched Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen are likely to do battle for the points jersey.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch the race.
When is the Vuelta a Espana 2026?
The Vuelta a Espana runs for 21 stages plus two rest days from 22 August to 13 September 2026, beginning in Monaco and finishing in Granada.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the Vuelta a Espana on TNT Sports and streaming service HBO Max. Free-to-air highlights will be available on DMAX.
Vuelta a Espana 2026 route
- Stage 1 (August 22): Monaco to Monaco: Time trial (9.4km)
- Stage 2 (August 23): Monaco to Manosque (France): Hilly stage (214.3km)
- Stage 3 (August 24): Gruissan to Font-Romeu: Medium mountain stage (174km)
- Stage 4 (August 25): Andorra la Vella to Andorra la Vella: Mountain stage (104.8km)
- Stage 5 (August 26): Falset to Roquetes: Hilly stage (173.4km)
- Stage 6 (August 27): Alcossebre to Castelló: Medium mountain stage (177.4km)
- Stage 7 (August 28): Vall d'Alba to Aramón Valdelinares: Mountain stage (149.8km)
- Stage 8 (August 29): Puçol to Xeraco: Flat stage (171km)
- Stage 9 (August 30): La Vila Joiosa to Alto de Aitana: Mountain stage (187.4km)
- Rest Day (August 31)
- Stage 10 (September 1): Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra: Hilly stage (184.7km)
- Stage 11 (September 2): Cartagena to Lorca: Flat stage (151.3km)
- Stage 12 (September 3): Vera to Calar Alto: Mountain stage (166.6km)
- Stage 13 (September 4): Almuñécar to Loja: Medium mountain stage (192.8km)
- Stage 14 (September 5): Jaén to Sierra de La Pandera: Mountain stage (154.5km)
- Stage 15 (September 6): Palma del Río to Córdoba: Medium mountain stage (189.7km)
- Rest Day (September 7)
- Stage 16 (September 8): Cortegana to La Rábida (Palos de la Frontera): Hilly stage (181.1km)
- Stage 17 (September 9): Dos Hermanas to Sevilla: Flat stage (185km)
- Stage 18 (September 10): El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera: Time trial (32km)
- Stage 19 (September 11): Vélez-Málaga to Peñas Blancas (Estepona): Hilly stage (210km)
- Stage 20 (September 12): La Calahorra to Collado del Alguacil: Mountain stage (187km)
- Stage 21 (September 13): Granada to Granada: Flat stage (99.4km)