The 2026 Vuelta modifies the queen stage in Granada: Hazallanas gives way to El Duque

The organization of La Vuelta 2026 has officially confirmed the modification of the route for stage 20, considered the queen stage of the race. As Brujulabike reported last February, the damage caused by the heavy rainstorm forced a reconsideration of the passage through Alto de Hazallanas, a situation that now translates into a definitive change of the route.

La Vuelta 2026 modifies the queen stage of Granada: Hazallanas gives way to the new Puerto de El Duque

The landslides recorded on the access road to Hazallanas prevent the port from meeting the necessary safety conditions for the passage of the race, so the organization has opted to replace it with the new Puerto de El Duque, keeping the mileage and the level of difficulty of the stage practically intact.

El Duque replaces Hazallanas without reducing the difficulty

As La Vuelta has explained, the goal has been to modify the initially designed route as little as possible. The new route maintains two ascents to Puerto de El Purche and will also finish at the new Collado del Alguacil, although the passage through Hazallanas will be replaced by El Duque.

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On paper, both ports present a very similar accumulated elevation gain, so the overall difficulty of the day hardly changes. However, there are significant differences in the character of the climb. El Duque offers somewhat more regular and less extreme slopes than Hazallanas, considered one of the toughest ports in Sierra Nevada.

Where a new challenge does arise is on the road itself. The access to El Duque runs along a particularly narrow path, an aspect that will require the organization to manage the passage of the race caravan, team vehicles, and the presence of the public with precision. In a decisive stage for the general classification, any logistical problem could have a significant impact on the development of the day.

The organization has highlighted that the resulting profile maintains practically the same length and a very similar level of difficulty to the route presented last December, thanks to the joint work with local administrations to find an alternative that guarantees safety without altering the essence of the toughest stage of this edition of La Vuelta.