Wout van Aert has a golden opportunity in La Vuelta stage 13

La Vuelta a España 2026 faces one of those difficult days to categorize this Friday. Stage 13 accumulates nearly 3,400 meters of elevation gain and concentrates much of its difficulties in a very demanding first half, but leaves more than 35 kilometers from the last climb to the finish in Loja. A combination that opens the door to a great breakaway and seems especially favorable for complete riders like Wout van Aert.

Stage 13 of La Vuelta a España 2026

The race will leave the Granada coast to face a day of 192.8 kilometers between Almuñécar and Loja, with several climbs in the first half and a long descending approach towards a slightly uphill finish.

• Start: Almuñécar
• Finish: Loja
• Distance: 192.8 km
• Positive elevation gain: around 3,400 m
• Start time: 12:41
• Expected arrival: between 17:16 and 17:45
• Alto de la Venta de la Cebada: 14.5 km at 5.3%, 1st category
• Puerto Las Albuñuelas: 2.4 km at 9.2%, not scored
• Alto del Legionario: about 15 km at 3.1%, 3rd category
• Intermediate sprint: Tocón
• Puerto de Granada: about 7 km at nearly 6%, 2nd category
• Last summit: about 37 km from the finish

A very tough first half and more than 30 kilometers to reorganize the race

The departure from Almuñécar will not take long to take the peloton from the Mediterranean inland. And it will be precisely there where a large part of the stage can be decided.

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The first major obstacle will be the Alto de la Venta de la Cebada, a climb of approximately 14.5 kilometers at 5.3%. Its position, still far from Loja, makes it practically impossible for it to have consequences for the general classification, but it offers perfect terrain for a large and high-level breakaway to form.

Next comes one of the toughest points of the day despite not being categorized: the Puerto Las Albuñuelas, with 2.4 kilometers at 9.2% and ramps reaching 16%. If the breakaway has not yet consolidated, this section can finish selecting the riders capable of being at the front.

The road will continue to gain height more gradually until the Alto del Legionario, a very long climb of about 15 kilometers at 3.1%. Its percentages should not be decisive, but by then the peloton will have already accumulated a good part of the nearly 3,400 meters of elevation gain of the day.

After overcoming this first half, a much more favorable section will arrive, with a long descending trend towards the Los Bermejales reservoir and then towards Tocón, where the intermediate sprint will be located.

The last scored climb will be the Puerto de Granada, about seven kilometers at nearly 6%. Its summit will be about 37 kilometers from Loja and will likely be the decisive point of the stage.

It is demanding enough to eliminate many of the fast riders, but it is too far from the finish to guarantee that the climbers arrive ahead. From there, the terrain will be predominantly downhill and, in the last 11 kilometers, practically flat.

Only the last section breaks that trend. About 1,200 meters from the finish, the road will begin to rise gently, with slopes around 3-4%, a perfect finish for a powerful rider who maintains speed after a day of medium mountains.

Wout van Aert has one of his best opportunities to win in this Vuelta

The route seems designed for the characteristics of Wout van Aert. The Belgian is showing great form in the mountains, clearly leads the points classification, and has already finished third in Valdelinares, fourth in Elche de la Sierra, and has been a key piece in Matthew Brennan's three victories.

The big question is how the Visma Lease a Bike team will decide to race. Van Aert can enter the breakaway from the start and go directly for the win, probably the scenario that fits best with this stage. But the team could also control thinking of a reduced group, where Van Aert would still be one of their best options.

Thibau Nys also appears as one of the most interesting riders. His third place in Elche de la Sierra confirmed that he is arriving with good legs for the second half of the Vuelta, and a route with climbs, broken terrain, and a slightly uphill finish fits perfectly with his characteristics.

Uno-X has several cards with Magnus Cort, Andreas Leknessund, Tobias Halland Johannessen, and Andreas Kron. Especially Cort can be very dangerous if he reaches Loja in a small group, while Leknessund has already demonstrated his form with his victory in Valdelinares.

We must also keep an eye on Kevin Vermaerke, Alexey Lutsenko, Pello Bilbao, Marcel Camprubí, Axel Laurance, Alessandro Romele, Xabier Mikel Azparren, and Ramses Debruyne, all of whom have chances to enter a high-level breakaway.

Movistar, for its part, should face a much calmer day after Enric Mas's demonstration in Calar Alto. The Spanish team could even place Iván Romeo, Raúl García Pierna, or Pablo Castrillo ahead and thus avoid taking on all the weight of the chase.

There is also a second scenario in which no breakaway manages to gain enough margin and the race groups again after the Puerto de Granada. In that case, riders like Matthew Brennan, Bryan Coquard, Jordi Meeus, Vincenzo Albanese, or Jordan Labrosse could return and contest a reduced finish.

But after the accumulated toughness and with the Sierra de la Pandera still ahead during the weekend, everything points to stage 13 being one of the best opportunities of this Vuelta for stage hunters.