The 2026 edition of La Vuelta a España will begin in the principality of Monaco, with a 9.6 kilometre individual time trial that will see the first red leader’s jersey awarded to the winner.
The start location for next year’s race was confirmed at a presentation on Saturday 25 October, hosted at One Monte-Carlo in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco along with a host of other dignitaries, alongside the Steering Committee of La Vuelta 26.
Monaco is no stranger to Grand Tour openings, though it’s will have been some 17 years since the last foray into Monagasque territory. The principality played host to the Giro d’Italia Grande Partenza in 1966 and most recently, the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2009.
A number of professional cyclists live in Monaco including four-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar. La Vuelta is the only Grand Tour which the UAE Team Emirates rider has not yet won, and despite early indications that he would compete in 2025, Pogačar did not participate after suffering with fatigue following his Tour de France title defence in July. It is possible that a home start may tempt the Slovenian into a…
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