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News & Racing<\/a><\/p>\n A closer look at all seven stages on the route of the first week-long stage race of 2026.<\/p>\n Cor Vos<\/p>\n In the blink of an eye, the Classics are behind us, and it’s time for the first week-long stage race of the year: La Vuelta Femenina. At only seven days, the Vuelta is hardly a “Grand Tour,” but it definitely packs a punch, and it’s the first time we will see a few top riders test themselves in a multi-day race this year. <\/p>\n It also sees the kickoff of the heart of stage race season in the women’s calendar, with Itzulia Women and the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas following in quick succession. And finally, with the Giro d’Italia moved to the end of May from its former slot in mid-summer, the Vuelta will see a shakeup in its lineup.<\/p>\n A full contender preview is coming later this week as startlists are still filling in. For now, get excited about what’s ahead with this stage-by-stage breakdown of the first of three Spanish WorldTour stage races. From the looks of it, we could see the red leader’s jersey changing hands quite a few times before it comes to rest on the shoulders of one of the GC favorites. <\/p>\n When: Sunday, May 3 at 11:35 CEST (19:35 AEST\/5:35 EDT), expected finish 14:30 CEST (22:30 AEST\/8:30 EDT) Detailed breakdown: The Vuelta starts in Mar\u00edn, Spain, in the province of Pontevedra in Galicia. The town is located on the western edge of Spain, just north of the Portuguese border. <\/p>\n There are two categorised climbs over the 113 km opening stage; both are classified as Category 3 ascents, and both sit in the first 60 km of the stage, making them a nice opener for the race itself, but not crucial when it comes to stage outcome. <\/p>\n The first is the Alto do Cruceiero, 38.4 km into the stage (aka it starts with 82.5 km to go). This ascent is 7.8 km long and averages 4.6%; not tiny but nothing compared to what we will see later in the week. <\/p>\n The second categorised climb is the Alto da Portela, 49.4 km into the stage (starts with 67.7 km to go). It is shorter at only 3.6 km but steeper at 5.8%. Still, it’s too far from the finish to make much difference on the stage. <\/p>\n The climbs that will impact the stage more are the uncategorised rolling hills in the final 50 km. One in particular starts with 52 km to go and is 3% average with a max of 7.4% for 6.2 km. Then, there are a few smaller kickers in the final 10 km where teams who know they can’t feature in a sprint can try an attack. <\/p>\n As mentioned above, the finish is not flat, but atop an uncategorised 1 km climb. The race will approach the climb by going straight through a roundabout and taking a right immediately after. It’s not sharp, but they go from a pretty wide road to a narrower road. On the climb, they make a left turn, followed by a right, and here the road narrows more. The finish is on an even narrower road, but nothing insane. It sits next to the Campo de F\u00fatbol do Casal in Salvaterra de Mi\u00f1o. <\/p>\n The stage is great for a Marianne Vos, Lorena Wiebes, or Ally Wollaston.<\/p>\n Live coverage: \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa SBS 21:45 AEST, \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa HBOMax 13:45 CEST, \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 HBOMax 12:45 BST, \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Peacock 6:50 EDT, \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 FloBikes 7:45 EDT<\/p>\n This post is for paying subscribers only Already have an account? Sign in<\/a><\/p>\n Did we do a good job with this story?<\/p>\n \n \ud83d\udc4dYep![\"Abby](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Abby-Mickey-150x150.jpg\")
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Stage 1: Marin to Salvaterra de Mi\u00f1o (113.9 km)<\/p>\n
Stage type: Reduced sprint
Summary: An introduction to the race that includes a few small hills, but with a relatively flat run to the line, the end will likely be a reduced sprint. The finale, however, is not entirely flat. The stage ends atop a 1 km ascent that hits 7.6% and averages 4.2%. At the top, the final 200 metres flattens out, but the “climb” is enough to string out the sprint. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-3.jpeg\")
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