A final stage like no other: four climbs up to the Alhambra to bring La Vuelta to a close

After three weeks of racing, La Vuelta a España 2026 reaches its conclusion this Sunday in Granada. Enric Mas will face the day as the virtual overall winner, but the final stage is far from the traditional stroll before a sprint. A final circuit with four climbs towards the Alhambra opens a perfect scenario for Wout van Aert, Matthew Brennan, and the classics specialists.

Stage 21 of La Vuelta a España 2026: route, schedule, and key points

• Date: Sunday, September 13
• Start: Granada
• Finish: Granada, Paseo del Salón
• Distance: 112 km
• Type: short stage with final urban circuit
• Positive elevation gain: approximately 1,311 m
• Start: 16:20
• Expected arrival: 19:06-19:24
• Final circuit: four climbs towards the Alhambra
• Climb: 2.1 km, around 7% average gradient
• Last passage over the climb: 7.8 km from the finish
• Intermediate sprint: Granada, 19.6 km from the finish
• Leader: Enric Mas, with 2:15 over Primož Roglič
• Favorites: Wout van Aert, Matthew Brennan, and Thibau Nys

The last stage of La Vuelta a España 2026 will not be a stroll with a sprint finish

Granada replaces Madrid this year as the venue for the final stage, and La Vuelta has taken advantage of the change to design a much more open finish than usual.

The first kilometers should maintain some of the ceremonial character of the last day. After an initial lap around Granada, the race will enter the city with about 42 kilometers to contest, and then the real competitive finish will begin.

The main difficulty will be the climb towards the Alhambra, 2.1 kilometers long and around 7%, with some sections above 13%. The riders will have to tackle it four times, and the last summit will be located just 7.8 kilometers from the finish.

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This is enough to eliminate some sprinters and, above all, to provoke attacks. After the summit, there will be a descent back towards the center of Granada, where the finish line will be set up on Paseo del Salón.

Therefore, although it is officially classified as a flat stage, the outcome may resemble that of a short classic rather than the usual sprint of the final day of a grand tour.

Enric Mas, 112 kilometers away from winning La Vuelta

The big celebration of the day will feature Enric Mas. After overcoming the last mountain stage and extending his lead over Primož Roglič, the Movistar rider starts the day with 2:15 over the Slovenian and 2:44 over Felix Gall.

Unless an accident or an exceptional situation occurs, Mas will conquer his first Vuelta a España in Granada, ending a wait of 12 years for Spanish cycling, which has not won the race since Alberto Contador in 2014.

Movistar will thus have a day to protect their leader before celebrating the final victory in Granada, while the sporting battle will mainly focus on the last stage win.

Wout van Aert and Matthew Brennan, favorites to win in Granada

Wout van Aert is one of the top candidates. The Belgian arrives with the green jersey mathematically secured, two stage wins, and a route that suits his characteristics particularly well. The succession of short climbs and the last passage less than eight kilometers from the finish allows him to both attack and wait for a reduced group.

Visma also has a second option that is hard to ignore. Matthew Brennan has already won five stages in his first grand tour and will likely be the reference if the attacks are neutralized and a sufficiently large group arrives at Paseo del Salón.

Thibau Nys is another rider to watch if the race breaks apart on the climb. Axel Laurance, Ethan Hayter, Finn Fisher-Black, Pau Miquel, and Bastien Tronchon also have the characteristics to move in a finish of this type.

If everything comes back together, names like Bryan Coquard, Magnus Cort, Alessandro Romele, Vito Braet, or Hugo Hofstetter will gain options. Iván Romeo could be one of the alternatives to seek an attack from afar and add a final victory to Movistar's tally.

This will be a final stage very different from the traditional finish in Madrid. Enric Mas will have his celebration, but before La Vuelta 2026 ends definitively, there will be four passages over the Alhambra and a final battle to win in Granada.