In just three days, the Vuelta a España went from the glitzy grandeur of Monaco to the hurried sanctuary of a mountainside hotel.
Gruber Images, Kristof Ramon, Cor Vos
So far, the 2026 Vuelta a España has been a race of extremes: from the glitz and glamour of the Casino de Monte-Carlo in Monaco to an overcrowded hotel lobby in the Pyrenees as hailstones pummelled the world outside.
Bike races have been known to start in some weird and wonderful places, including carpeted beachside boardwalks and supermarkets. For the Gran Partida in Monaco, the first stage got underway from perhaps the most glamorous location ever to host a time trial start. The long ramp was constructed to flow seamlessly from the top of the Casino de Monte-Carlo’s steps, jutting out into the Place du Casino not unlike a fashion runway. There was something very right about the pinnacle of cycling engineering getting an outing at the home of the Monaco Grand Prix, but images from within the casino where the riders waited their turn – a massive upgrade compared to the more traditional staging area in a tent – revealed a delightful contrast between Monegasque luxury and the individual time trial, i.e. the most aesthetically baffling of all the cycling disciplines.
The scenes that unfolded less than 48 hours later couldn’t have been more different as all 182 cyclists still in the race poured into a hotel just off the race route, seeking sanctuary from the marble-like hailstones that had left many in the peloton dotted with small welts. The finish line was still 15 km away, but the stage was abandoned.
Despite what the results alone might indicate, it’s been a dramatic and memorable start to the Vuelta. Here’s just a small selection of some of the best photos from the first three days by Kristof Ramon, Cor Vos, and Harry Talbot and Russ Ellis shooting for Gruber Images.
The Casino de Monte-Carlo offered a majestic starting area for the Vuelta a España. Grand Tour debutant Jarno Widar (Lotto-Intermarché) is pictured here contemplating the effort ahead, surrounded by outlandish grandeur.
Tudor’s Hannes Wilksch, another Grand Tour debutant, prepares to follow fellow first-timer Darren van Bekkum (XDS-Astana) off the ramp and into the afternoon sunlight pooling in the Place du Casino.
Nick Schultz (NSN) rolling into the famous Place du Casino for his effort.
That’s got to be one of the most magnificent time trial start gates in recent memory.
This post is for paying subscribers only
Subscribe now
Already have an account? Sign in
Did we do a good job with this story?
👍Yep
👎Nope