Van Aert is 9 seconds from the red jersey: La Vuelta stage 2 preview

After just 9.4 kilometers against the clock in Monaco, and with Pogacar dressed in red, La Vuelta a España 2026 completely changes its scenery in its second stage. Ahead lies 214.3 kilometers to Manosque, more than 3,000 meters of accumulated ascent, and a route practically without flat terrain that seems designed to challenge the most resilient sprinters. Mads Pedersen and Wout van Aert are two of the big names of the day, with the Belgian just 9 seconds behind Tadej Pogačar's red jersey.

Stage 2 of La Vuelta 2026: over 200 km and 3,000 meters of ascent towards Manosque

• Date: Sunday, August 23, 2026
• Start: Monaco
• Finish: Manosque
• Distance: 214.3 km
• Type of stage: hilly
• Neutralized start: 12:00
• Official start: 12:42
• Estimated arrival: around 17:16-17:43
• Total ascent: around 3,000 m
• Col de Châteauneuf-Grasse: 3rd category, 13 km at 2.9%
• Col de Saint Andrieu: 3rd category, 4.7 km at 4.8%
• Favorites: Mads Pedersen, Wout van Aert, Kaden Groves, Matthew Brennan, Orluis Aular, and Bryan Coquard

  

A stage much tougher than its two climbs suggest

The second stage will also be the longest of the entire La Vuelta 2026. From Monaco, the peloton will quickly enter France and leave the coast to delve into a route of continuous ups and downs through Provence.

RECOMENDADO

Pogačar wins a thrilling time trial and takes the red jersey on the first day of La Vuelta 2026

La Vuelta starts in Monaco: times and key points of a time trial on the limit

Everything you could ask for from an eMTB is packed into this Megamo Reason CRB 00

“It's like a snake in front of us”: Sammie Maxwell speaks out for the first time about the issue that kept her out of the World Cup

“It was very painful”: Van der Poel finishes 10th on his MTB return

Boichis wins in Les Gets as Van der Poel makes spectacular MTB comeback despite a near-crash

The first scoring difficulty will arrive very early. The Col de Châteauneuf-Grasse, a third category climb, peaks at kilometer 32.3 after 13 kilometers at 2.9%. It will be a gentle ascent, but its location may facilitate the formation of a large breakaway from the start.

Next, there will be constantly broken terrain until reaching the Col de Saint Andrieu, also a third category climb, whose summit will come at kilometer 92.4 after 4.7 kilometers at 4.8%. From there, no other scoring climb will appear, but that does not mean the toughness will end.

The route will continue to rise and fall for a good part of the day and will offer hardly any completely flat kilometers. The accumulation of more than 200 kilometers and around 3,000 meters of ascent will likely be more significant than any of the climbs individually.

The final stretch will not make for a calm arrival either. After passing through Valensole, the road will continue to present long false flats before heading towards Manosque. The last kilometers rise again, with some more demanding sections, making a mass sprint with all the sprinters seem complicated.

The most likely scenario is a sprint from a small group, although it will depend heavily on the pace that teams like Lidl-Trek or Visma-Lease to Bike want to impose. There is also room for a breakaway to have options if the peloton decides not to take control too early.

Pedersen and Van Aert have one of their best opportunities

Mads Pedersen seems to be the rider with the best characteristics to win in Manosque. The Dane arrives after winning the green jersey of the Tour and had already pointed out this stage as one of his objectives. His endurance after long and tough days, combined with his sprinting speed, makes him a clear reference.

Wout van Aert will also have an added incentive. After finishing the opening time trial just 9 seconds behind Pogačar, a victory accompanied by bonuses could allow him to attack the lead. The route also favors him, although Visma has other options like Matthew Brennan and Christophe Laporte if the race takes a different turn.

Among the resilient sprinters, Kaden Groves reappears as an obvious option due to his ability to handle broken terrain, while Orluis Aular and Bryan Coquard should benefit from a day that eliminates the purest sprinters. If he survives the more than 3,000 meters of ascent, Jordi Meeus should also be considered for his higher top speed.

And if the stage turns out to be much more selective than expected, names like Magnus Cort, Axel Laurance, or Ben Turner could come into play. Even Tadej Pogačar has a finish suitable for his characteristics, although with such an early day, it would be logical for UAE to prioritize keeping the red without spending more than necessary.