“A lot can happen” - Contador sends Vuelta warning as dangerous sections of final stage circuit pinpointed
CyclingSunday, 13 September 2026 at 13:00
The Vuelta a España 2026 reaches its final stage with Granada hosting the curtain call, but Alberto Contador is clear that the last day will not necessarily be the traditional parade to the line. The Spanish ex-rider has dissected a route he views as particularly delicate given the nature of the streets the race will use.
The organisers have designed a final stage packed with short climbs around the Alhambra. The peloton will tackle four laps of a circuit featuring several ascents, which could turn the day into a far tougher test than usual for riders reaching the end of La Vuelta with little left in the tank.
“It will be anything but a procession,” Contador warned as he analysed the route. He explained that four passages over these climbs could make the stage significantly more competitive than expected, especially after three weeks of racing.
One aspect that most worries Contador is the condition of certain parts of the course. The climb runs through Granada’s streets and, as the former rider noted, this kind of urban layout can pose additional challenges for the peloton.
Alberto Contador, owner of Team Polti VisitMalta
City streets could prove slippery
“As we know, the streets of a big city can always be a bit more slippery,” Contador said, drawing particular attention to specific areas on the circuit. The former Tour de France winner also highlighted patches of grime in places and urged caution on corners that dip slightly.
The situation could be even trickier given when this stage takes place. After the heavy load of the preceding days, gaps between riders may also depend on how their bodies respond on a course with these characteristics.
As for the main climb, Contador underlined that it is just over two kilometres long with an average gradient close to 6%. On paper, that effort may not seem decisive, but it takes on a different dimension after three weeks of competition with riders on the limit.
Alberto Contador and La Vuelta’s Granada finale
“After the monster stage they’ve just done and with energy so low, a lot can happen,” Contador said, leaving the door open for the last day to carry more weight than anticipated.
Riders will face four laps of the circuit before the finish in Granada. Therefore, even if the general classification is virtually settled on the final day, Contador believes there will still be reasons to keep a close eye on the race.
La Vuelta a España will sign off with a stage unlike the usual finales, where the urban route, four climbs, and accumulated fatigue could play a major role. “We’ll see who finally comes out on top here in Granada,” Contador concluded.
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- You have no idea? You should go and ask Mou.PogiSloFans13-09-2026
- The cyborg, being present in Canada to support his fiancée, is great news for the human race.
vannpelt13-09-2026 - True, but Pogi haters and other fools on this site won't admit it. While they celebrated Pogi's crash and saying the Vuelta was "exciting again," the reality is that the second and third weeks of the Vuelta attracted far fewer viewers. By David Bavin-HobbsIn on PRO CYCLING: A cycling world that has been dominated for years by Pogačar and UAE Emirates-XRG—and in a world where people talk about the sport being “boring,” “monotonous,” and “unexciting”—the Slovenian’s withdrawal provided a very enlightening insight. For although Pogacar had the Vuelta firmly in his grasp, far more people were watching when he was in the race versus after his departure. The statistics website Procyclingstats shared a rather bizarre graph showing the sharp drop in visitor numbers since Pogacar was forced to withdraw. In recent years, there had always been an increase in unique visitors during the first and second weeks of the Vuelta. However, Pogacar’s withdrawal resulted in a 15 percent drop.PogiSloFans13-09-2026
- Tell your orange maga orangutan president to give you a better life. Capish?PogiSloFans13-09-2026
- Urška Žigart, who was third overall, crashed in the third stage, 27 km left, and abandoned the race. She has suffered another broken jaw, which likely also means the end of her season.PogiSloFans13-09-2026
- It is confusing, but my guess is that they expect it to be a procession until the last lap, by tacit agreement of the peloton.Hills3313-09-2026
- Urska herself crashed out on Stage 3 of the Faun Tour Femmes. Don't know the nature of her injuries, but I hope that she can recover in time for the WC.Cooldude13-09-2026
- Er, no. IDL reports that the Vuelta viewing figures did drop noticeably after Pog crashed out.Hills3313-09-2026
- It may just be the unclearness of the description and I’ll admit, I’m getting too lazy to go check EVERYTHING myself but if they’re doing the same lap several times, why would the last one be any more dangerous than whichever will turn out to be the last one if they decide on a fictive end?Mistermaumau13-09-2026
- Do we know the extent of Chris Hamilton's injuries? He seemed in absolute agony and for a while after his accident there was no update on his condition which was of some concern.Cooldude13-09-2026
Loading
Write a comment