Vuelta 2026 Route stage 20: La Calahorra - Collada de Alguacil

Saturday 12 September - With more than 5,000 metres of climbing packed into 187 kilometres, the penultimate stage of the Vuelta is an absolute brute. The riders face four climbs, including a double ascent of the steep Alto de Hazallanas, before finishing atop the Collado de Alguacil, a 16.7-kilometre climb with the final 8 kilometres averaging 9.5%.

The riders roll out on the north-eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, in La Calahorra, and head west over gently rolling roads. After 43 kilometres they reach the Puerto de Blancares, a gentle 9.3-kilometre climb averaging 3.4%. Only the final stretch before the summit is steep; the rest is little more than a warm-up.

The descent leads to Pinos Genil, after which the route skirts high above the Canales reservoir towards Güéjar Sierra. The road continues to rise, but the gradients remain modest, especially compared to what awaits after passing through Güéjar Sierra. The riders plunge down to the Río Genil before the Alto de Hazallanas kicks in hard. It eases slightly after the opening ramps, but from kilometre 2 to kilometre 4.5 the gradient stays relentlessly in double figures. The steepest section pitches up to 20%, while the Alto de Hazallanas averages a punishing 9.5% over 7.1 kilometres.

A descent takes the riders into Granada before returning to the mountains. The Alto de El Purche measures 8.9 kilometres at an average gradient of 7.5%. The first 3 kilometres are the toughest, with gradients hovering between 9% and 11%.

Just before the summit of El Purche, the road kicks up to 11% one last time before the descent back to Pinos Genil. The riders have been here before and retrace the same road above the reservoir to Güéjar Sierra, where, after a short descent, they take on the Alto de Hazallanas for a second time. It remains every bit the monster: 7.1 kilometres at 9.5%.

After descending once more to Pinos Genil, the riders follow the familiar loop above the reservoir again. This time, however, they do not drop back down to the river. Instead, they continue straight into the Sierra Nevada, climbing the dead-end road to the Collado de Alguacil. The ascent is 16.7 kilometres long at an average gradient of 6.7%, but those numbers barely tell the story. The second half is littered with double-digit gradients.

In short, the penultimate stage of the Vuelta is a climber's dream – especially for those who relish brutally steep gradients.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 20th stage 2026 Vuelta a España.