La Vuelta to be decided on the Collado del Alguacil

La Vuelta 2026 reaches its decisive mountain stage this Saturday with 187 kilometres from La Calahorra to the Collado del Alguacil and 4,890 metres of climbing. Enric Mas starts in the red jersey with 1:37 over Primož Roglič, while Felix Gall is third at 3:01, Richard Carapaz fourth at 5:17 and Oscar Onley fifth at 6:03.

The opening half already includes the Puerto de los Blancares, but the decisive sequence comes later. The riders face the Puerto de El Purche, 8.2 kilometres at 8.2%, before the Puerto de El Duque, 7.4 kilometres at 8.3%, and a second passage through El Purche. The accumulated fatigue and the short recovery between climbs offer Roglič, Gall and Carapaz terrain to attack before the final ascent.

The Collado del Alguacil makes its professional racing debut with 8.3 kilometres at an average of 9.8%. It is the last mountain finish of the race and the final opportunity to overturn the overall standings before Sunday's closing stage in Granada. Mas can ride defensively, but the severity of the route means La Vuelta remains open until the summit.