Vuelta 2026 Route stage 3: Gruisan – Font Romeu

Monday 24 August – Stage 3 of the Vuelta is a relatively short ride of 166.7 kilometres. On paper it is the first truly demanding stage, one that will put the riders with GC ambitions on alert. The elevation gain totals roughly 2,600 metres, most of which in the last 35 kilometres.

The route is as flat as it gets until kilometre 70. After that the roads gradually begin to rise towards the Col de Mont-Louis. Truth be told, the gradients are barely noticeable until the climb properly gets underway around 60 kilometres later. The Col de Mont-Louis is 19.1 kilometres long and averages 5%. No extreme ramps, but sustained climbing takes its toll as well.

After a short descent, the riders climb for another 9.8 kilometres at 4.9% all the way to the finish. Effectually, that section serves as an extension of the Col de Mont-Louis, turning the whole effort into a climb of 27 kilometres at 4.5%.

The stage ends in Font-Romeu, close to the Spanish border. The town has little cycling history, although the Tour de France passed through in 2021. On that occasion the finish was in Andorra la Vella, where Sepp Kuss took the win.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 3rd stage 2026 Vuelta a España.