Vuelta 2026 Route stage 6: Alcossebre – Castellón

Thursday 27 August - The 6th stage of the Vuelta a España serves up roughly 3,100 metres of elevation over a 177.4-kilometre course. Extra spice comes from the final ascent, which features an unpaved section of 1.9 kilometres with a 11.8% gradient, before the riders fly down to a flat finish.

Last updated: 27 August 2026 - link to the results added

Alcossebre boast hardly any cycling history. Alexey Lutsenko once took a stage win there in the 2017 Vuelta. To find another winner, you have to go all the way back to 1995, when Nicola Minali claimed a sprint victory.

The riders leave seaside village Alcossebre behind to head inland and tackle the Puerto de la Serratella after about 30 kilometres. The climb is 14 kilometres long and averaging 3.8%. Short afterwards Col de la Bandereta throws in 4.6 kilometres at 6.7%.

After the descent, the riders have around 20 kilometres across a plateau before dropping down towards the Mediterranean. They then follow the coast southwards and, shortly after Benicàssim, take on the Alto de Desierto de las Palmas. The 7.6-kilometre climb serves up an average gradient of 4.9%.

Once at the bottom, the riders have the finish in Castellón within reach, but instead they head back towards the foot of the Alto de Desierto de las Palmas. They take on the same climb again, but this time with a twist. On the second ascent, the riders face an extra challenge: a 1.9-kilometre stretch of uphill gravel - or, Tramo de Tierra - virtually all at double digits. Averaging a brutal 11.8%, the unpaved section is followed by a short descent before the final 400 metres ramp up again at 12.5%. In total, the Puerto de Bartolo rises for 9.4 kilometres at an average gradient of 7.4%.

From the top of the Bartolo, it's 20.6 kilometres to the finish, with more than half of that downhill and the rest on flat roads.

The first three riders across the line receive 10, 6 and 4 seconds of time bonuses, while 6, 4 and 2 seconds are available atop the Puerto de Bartolo.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 6th stage 2026 Vuelta a España.

Another interesting read: results 6th stage 2026 Vuelta a España.