Vuelta 2026 Route stage 2: Monaco

Vuelta 2026 Route stage 2: Monaco – Manosque

Sunday 23 August - Stage 2 of La Vuelta covers 215.2 kilometres between Monaco and Manosque. Although the riders tackle only two classified climbs along the way, the route still features more than 3,000 metres of elevation gain.

The riders clip in in Monaco, but the official start takes place on French soil. The route runs above the medieval town of Èze before descending towards Nice. They follow the Promenade des Anglais and, just past the airport, turn inland. The road soon rises at just over 4%. Over its full length of 11.5 kilometres, the Alto Châteauneuf-Grasse averages 3%.

The riders remain at altitude. For around 60 kilometres the course rolls gently up and down towards the Col de Saint-Andrieu, a climb of 4.3 kilometres at 5.2%. Following the KOM sprint and a short descent, an extra kick delivers 3 kilometres at 6.1%.

The pattern continues as before: up and down, up and down. Just before the final 50 kilometres begin, the road rises for 2.8 kilometres at 6.2%, but in general the climbs are too modest to pin an official percentage on.

With 20 kilometres to go, the riders pass through Valensole, after which a gradual descent leads to the valley of the Durance. From there it is still 5 kilometres to the finish in Manosque, all of it on a gentle false flat uphill.

In recent history, finishes in Manosque have produced nothing but bunch sprints. The Tour de la Provence passes through almost every year and has delivered wins for Mads Pedersen (twice), Bryan Cocquard and Davide Ballerini – in other words, sprinters with strongman characteristics. Moreover, other riders who featured in the top tens of those races were not pure fast men, but the likes of Matej Mohoric, Julian Alaphilippe, Filippo Ganna and Giulio Ciccone. The conclusion is that the likely winner will be a rider who combines raw power with punchy climbing legs.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 2nd stage 2026 Vuelta a España.