Vuelta 2026 Route stage 13: Almuñécar - Loja

Friday 4 September - Stage 13 of the Vuelta a España is a 192.8-kilometre hilly stage with a flat finish. Most of the climbing, totalling 3,404 metres, comes in the first 84 kilometres.

Last updated: 2 September 2026 – weather forecast added

Race type: hilly stage
Likely winner: breakaway specialistst
Weather: hot and sunny

The stage gets under way in Almuñécar, the birthplace of Carlos Rodríguez. From there, the riders follow the Mediterranean coast to Salobreña before turning inland. The road soon begins to climb towards Guájar-Faragüit, leading onto the day's first major test: the Alto de la Venta de la Cebada, a 14.1-kilometre ascent averaging 5.1%.

The descent is interrupted by a short climb to Pinos del Valle, and once back at the bottom, the road rises for 7.6 kilometres at an average gradient of 4.4% towards Lecrín, before continuing over rolling terrain to Padul.

Just beyond Padul, the route climbs the Alto de Legionario via a long, seemingly endless drag. It is never particularly steep, but it is relentlessly wearing. By the summit, the riders will have covered 84 kilometres, while most of the day's climbing is done and dusted by then.

A long descent leads to the Los Bermejales reservoir. An uncategorised climb of 5.1 kilometres at 3.5% then precedes a gently descending section towards Tocón, where the last climb of the day begins. The Puerto de Granada is an 7.4-kilometre ascent averaging 5.6%, with 37.4 kilometres remaining from the summit.

Most of those kilometres are downhill, and from Huétor-Tájar, 11.9 kilometres from the finish, the route is completely flat untill the fina kilometrerags at shallow gradients to the line.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 13th stage 2026 Vuelta a España.

The 13th stage of La Vuelta starts at 12:20 and the race is expected to finish around 17:30 - both local times (CEST).

Another interesting read: favourites to win in Loja.

Weather forecast:
At the start on Spain's Costa Tropical, temperatures are still pleasant, but they rise steadily as the riders head inland. By the finish, the mercury is expected to have reached 38°C.

Start: 25°C, sunny, south-westerly wind (6 km/h)
Finish: 38°C, sunny, westerly wind (13 km/h)

We will update the weather forecast on the morning of the stage. For the current weather conditions along the route, see the interactive weather map in the slideshow below this article.