Vuelta 2026 Favourites stage 2: Tough sprinters in hilly race

fotobureau Cor VosEn route from Monaco to Manosque, the road is constantly going either up or down. None of the uphill sections are particularly tough, but with more than 2,600 metres of elevation gain, the route is on the demanding side for pure sprinters. Then again, there are no real pure sprinters in the Vuelta anyway - although the likes of Mads Pedersen and Wout van Aert are very much in the mix. (Slideshow route/profile)

First published on 16 August 2026

Odds are, the Dane’s teammates will control the race, allowing him to sprint for the win in Manosque. Visma is likely to lend a helping hand, as Van Aert and Brennan are also to flourish on this kind of terrain. The likes of Hayter and Cort are also well suited to shine in Manosque.

That said, winning in Manosque has become something of a habit for Pedersen over the past two years. In the 2024 Tour de la Provence, he outsprinted Zingle and Champoussin from a select group, while last year he got the better of Mohoric in a two-up sprint. On both occasions, the sprint came after a tough hilly stage, so there is no reason to believe that the route will be too demanding for the Dane.

Pedersen and Van Aert were also both on the start line at last year’s Giro, which produced several thrilling finales. The Dane came out on top whenever they went head-to-head, although the Belgian took one of the most memorable stages. In a Strade Bianche-style race, he got the better of Del Toro in Siena.

Favourites 2nd stage 2026 Vuelta a España

*** Mads Pedersen, Wout van Aert, Matthew Brennan
** Thibau Nys, Magnus Cort, Laurence Pithie, Ethan Hayter
* Alberto Dainese, Marijn van den Berg, Axel Laurance, Bryan Coquard

Another interesting read: route 2nd stage 2026 Vuelta.

Vuelta a España 2026 stage 2: routes & profiles

profile

route

final run-in profile

final run-in route