Tadej Pogačar already has won seven major UCI World Tour events this season, and he’ll be looking to add another Grand Tour victory to the list when he returns to the Vuelta a España for the first time since 2019.
The Slovenian superstar is just over a week removed from his historic win at the Tour de France 2026, which marked his record-tying fifth title at the famed race, and he’ll now turn his attention to the only Grand Tour he hasn’t won yet.
The race will take place from Aug. 22 through Sept. 13, and fans in Canada can watch all of the action, live and on demand, on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
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The formal announcement of Pogačar’s participation came Monday after weeks of speculation, and whether or not he can become the ninth rider in history to win all three Grand Tours at least once has rocketed to the top of the event’s key storylines.
Also making the list are the likely absence of defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, who crashed and left Stage 15 of the recent Tour de France with another broken collarbone.
That said, if Vingegaard doesn’t make it to the starting line, the No. 1 threat for Pogačar would be fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic, a four-time winner a La Vuelta hoping to make history in 2026 as the race’s first five-time winner.
Roglic’s record-equaling fourth victory came in 2024 when he joined Spain’s Roberto Heras as the only four-time champions (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005). Roglic previously won in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Like Vingegaard, the former ski jumper has been plagued by crashes and injuries, including two significant ones in 2024, but he continues to persevere and managed to land himself among the year’s most memorable moments with wins at the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné and La Vuelta.
The Vuelta a España is the third, and final, Grand Tour of the cycling season. It first was held in 1935 and has been contested every year since 1955.
This year marks the 81st edition of La Vuelta, but only the second start for Pogačar, who made it the first Grand Tour of his career when he debuted in 2019.
After winning the Tour de France last month, Pogačar ranks eighth on the all-time Grand Tour wins list with six (five TDF wins and a Giro d’Italia victory in 2024).
A win at La Vuelta this year would move him into a five-way tie for fourth on the list, and he would become the ninth rider in history to win all three Grand Tours in his career. Vingegaard recently joined that elite club when he won the 2025 Giro d’Italia in May.
Other riders to watch at the 2026 La Vuelta will be last year’s runner-up João Almeida, Felix Gall, Mattias Skjelmose, Mads Pedersen, Enric Mas, Luke Plapp, Wout van Aert, Mikel Landa – with more being added as the race approaches.
The first two stages will take place in Monaco, before the race crosses its first border.
After the opening stages in Monaco and France, the peloton will pass through Andorra, finally entering Spain in Stage 5, and that's where the rest of the action will take place.
The race will open with a 9-kilometer individual time trial through Monaco, which will be the first city to host the opening stage in all three cycling Grand Tours at some point.
The 21 days of racing at this year’s La Vuelta will cover 3,275 kilometers and include six mountain stages, four hilly days, four medium mountain stages, four flat rides, two individual time trials and one hilly, uphill finale.
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How To Watch The Vuelta a España 2026
For Canadian viewers, the Vuelta a España 2026 will be streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
To see the start and estimated finish times for each stage, click here.
Highlights, race replays and breaking news will be available on both platforms.
Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms.
In the United States, the Vuelta a España is scheduled to be broadcast on the NBC Networks and streaming on the NBC Peacock app.
Vuelta a España 2026 Schedule
- Stage 1 – Aug. 22: Monaco to Monaco (9km ITT)
- Stage 2 – Aug. 23: Monaco to Manosque (215.2km)
- Stage 3 – Aug. 24: Gruissan - Aude to Font Romeu (166.7km)
- Stage 4 – Aug. 25: Andorra la Vella to Andorra la Vella (104.9km)
- Stage 5 – Aug. 26: Falset - Costa Daurada to Roquetes - Terres de l'Ebre (171.1km)
- Stage 6 – Aug. 27: Alcossebre to Castelló (176.8km)
- Stage 7 – Aug. 28: Vall d'Alba to Aramón Valdelinares (149.9km)
- Stage 8 – Aug. 29: Puçol to Xeraco (176.4km)
- Stage 9 – Aug. 30: La Vila Joiosa/Villajoyosa to Alto de Aitana - Costa Blanca (187.5km)
- Rest Day – Aug. 31
- Stage 10 – Sept. 1: Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra (184.5km)
- Stage 11 – Sept. 2: Cartagena to Lorca (156.1km)
- Stage 12 – Sept. 3: Vera to Calar Alto (166.5km)
- Stage 13 – Sept. 4: Almuñécar to Loja (193.2km)
- Stage 14 – Sept. 5: Jaén to Sierra de La Pandera (152.7km)
- Stage 15 – Sept. 6: Palma del Río to Córdoba (181.2km)
- Rest Day – Sept. 7
- Stage 16 – Sept. 8: Cortegana to La Rábida - Palos de la Frontera (186km)
- Stage 17 – Sept. 9: Dos Hermanas to Sevilla (189.2km)
- Stage 18 – Sept. 10: El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera (32.5km ITT)
- Stage 19 – Sept. 11: Vélez-Málaga to Peñas Blancas - Estepona (205.1km)
- Stage 20 – Sept. 12: La Calahorra to Collado del Alguacil (187km)
- Stage 21 – Sept. 13: Carrefour Granada to Granada (99.4km)
Total kilometers for 2026 is 3,275 kilometers or approximately 2,035 miles.
When Does The Vuelta a España 2026 Start?
The Vuelta a España 2026 starts Aug. 22 and will conclude Sept. 13.
The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days (Aug. 31 and Sept. 7).
Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish.
For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.
How Long Is The Vuelta a España 2026?
The course for the Vuelta a España 2026 will be 3,275 kilometers, or approximately 2,035 miles.
How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Vuelta a España?
Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams of eight riders and up to 184 total competitors in the Vuelta a España.
The 2026 race will feature 23 teams:
- Alpecin - Premier Tech (WT)
- Bahrain - Victorious (WT)
- Burgos Burpellet BH (PRT)
- Cofidis (PRT)
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team (WT)
- EF Education - EasyPost (WT)
- Equipo Kern Pharma (PRT)
- Groupama - FDJ United (WT)
- Lidl - Trek (WT)
- Lotto Intermarché (WT)
- Movistar Team (WT)
- Netcompany INEOS (WT)
- NSN Cycling Team (WT)
- Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (PRT)
- Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe (WT
- Soudal Quick-Step (WT)
- Team Jayco AlUla (WT)
- Team Picnic PostNL (WT)
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike (WT)
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team (PRT)
- UAE Team Emirates - XRG (WT)
- Uno-X Mobility (WT)
- XDS Astana Team (WT)
Who Won The Vuelta a España In 2025?
As it turned out, yes, Jonas Vingegaard was the man to beat at the Vuelta a España in 2025.
He won three stages on the way to his first GC title at La Vuelta, which was affected in multiple stages by pro-Palestinian protests. He finished the 21 days of racing 1 minute, 16 seconds ahead of João Almeida, who won two stages of his own.
Despite continued success during his career, Vingegaard also has suffered some pretty serious injuries, including a high-speed crash in the Tour of the Basque Country in 2024 that resulted in a broken collarbone, broken ribs and a punctured lung.
He’s now recovering from a crash and broken collarbone during the 2026 Tour de France that likely will see him miss the chance to defend his title at the Vuelta a España.
After winning La Vuelta last summer, Vingegaard was able to continue his strong form at the 2025 Giro d’Italia, where he won the GC crown and became the eighth rider in history to win all three Grand Tours at least once.
How Primoz Roglic Really Feels On The Tadej Pogacar Reign
In this candid interview, Primoz Roglic dives into the highs and lows of his cycling career—from near-misses at the Tour de France to his recent switch to Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe.
And he opens up about Tadej Pogacar.
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