Vuelta 2026 Route stage 11: Cartagena - Lorca

Wednesday 2 September - Stage 11 of the Vuelta a España is a largely flat 151.3-kilometre ride from Cartagena to Lorca. The riders face no more than 1,331 metres of elevation gain.

Last updated: 1 September 2026 – today's weather forecast

Race type: flat stage
Likely winner: sprinters
Weather: high temperatures, light winds

Cartagena literally means 'new city'. Yet there's nothing particularly new about it, as it was founded in the third century BC by the Carthaginians. While they explored new territories by sea, the peloton does so by land. That said, the opening 40 kilometres run along the coast. Two modest climbs stand out in that section: 1.8 kilometres at 5.5% and 2.4 kilometres at 4.7%.

After leaving the Costa Cálida behind at Los Alcázares, the race heads across the flat roads of the Murcia region towards Totana. There, the riders take on the day's only classified climb, the Alto de Aledo. It's a steady ascent of 9.5 kilometres at an average gradient of 4.2%, although it does become slightly steeper towards the summit.

From the top, 29.5 kilometres remain. Apart from a few gentle false-flat rises and the final 5 kilometres on the flat, it's virtually all downhill on modest gradients. In short, the pace is likely to be very high in the finale.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 11th stage 2026 Vuelta a España.

The 11th stage of La Vuelta starts at 13:55 and the race is expected to finish around 17:30 - both local times (CEST).

Another interesting read: favourites to win in Lorca.

The riders head further south and the temperature rises accordingly. It will be 34°C at the finish. Otherwise, conditions are calm in southern Spain.

Weather forecast:
Today, the riders continue their journey south, and the thermometer rises accordingly. Temperatures will reach 35°C at the finish. With otherwise calm conditions across southern Spain, the weather isn't expected to impact the race.

Start: 31°C, sunny, north-easterly wind (14 km/h)
Finish: 35°C, sunny, easterly wind (13 km/h)

For the current weather conditions along the route, see the interactive weather map in the slideshow below this article.