Vuelta 2026 Route stage 6: Alcossebre

Vuelta 2026 Route stage 6: Alcossebre – Castellón

Thursday 27 August - The 6th stage of the Vuelta a España serves up roughly 3,000 metres of elevation over a 176.8-kilometre course. Extra spice comes from the final ascent, which features an unpaved section of 3.1 kilometres with a 10.8% gradient.

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 40 kilometres. The climb is 16.6 kilometres long and averaging 4.4%. The route descends, flattens out, and then descends again to the foot of the Col de la Bandereta, which adds another 4.5 kilometres at 6.9%.

Following a section with plenty of downhill, the riders tackle the Alto de Desierto de las Palmas just over 120 kilometres into the stage. The 7.2 kilometres climb serves up an average gradient of 5.2%.

Another 26 kilometres in, the same obstacle appears again — but with a twist. On the second ascent, the riders face an extra challenge: a 3-kilometre stretch of uphill gravel – or, Tramo de Tierra – virtually all at double digits. This brings the Puerto de Bartolo to 9.1 kilometres of climbing at an average of 7.2%.

From the top of the Bartolo, the riders descend first over 3 kilometres at 9% towards the Alto de Desierto de las Palmas. They fly past that ‘summit’ at full speed before continuing the descent towards the final 10 kilometres on flat terrain.

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