Vuelta 2026 Route stage 10: Alcaraz - Elche de la Sierra

Tuesday 1 September - Stage 10 of the Vuelta a España covers 184.5 kilometres from Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra. The route is rarely flat, but it is not hilly enough to completely rule out the more resilient sprinters.

The stage gets underway with a climb out of Alcaraz. The riders ascend the Puerto de las Cruces on gentle gradients, although the final 3.2 kilometres are a little steeper, averaging 5%. The road then descends through Riópar to the foot of the day's first classified climb. The Puerto de Peralejo averages 4.5% over 4.9 kilometres.

There is no descent after the summit. Instead, the riders face more than 20 kilometres of rolling roads before dropping into Ayna. Immediately after passing through the village, the route climbs for 8.1 kilometres at 4%, after which the road trends downhill. There are still plenty of short rises and descents, but overall the route gradually loses elevation.

The final 50 kilometres offer much the same. The roads are never flat, but neither particularly steep, apart from an uncategorised ramp averaging 8.1%. It would have made for a great finish, but instead the stage continues for more than 30 kilometres.

The final classified climb is the Puerto de Socovos, which averages 3.5% over 9.8 kilometres and crests with 20 kilometres remaining. The road then descends gently before a 1.7-kilometre rise at 5.5%.

There are 11 kilometres remaing at this point. A brief descent takes the riders onto the final 3 kilometres, which drag gently uphill all the way to the finish.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 10th stage 2026 Vuelta a España.