The Vuelta a España 2026 is the third and final Grand Tour of the cycling season, although the event covers much more than just Spain.

Starting out in Monaco on Saturday, August 22, the tour will pass through France and Andorra before reaching Spain, where it will end in the south, in Granada, on Sunday, September 13.

Quick Picks

Our pick: Pogačar to win

Value bet: Gall in the each-way

Long shot: Roglic as an each-way

Betting Preview

The 2026 Vuelta a España edition of the race is the 81st, with it one of the main races of each season. It tests the very best riders and is held over 21 stages totalling around 3,275 km.

There are seven summit finishes, with more than 58,000 gruelling metres of climbing and two individual time trials, including the first stage – a 9.4 km race through the streets of Monaco.

It’s worth noting that the schedule for the Tour is slightly different this year from most years. Madrid won’t be the finish for the first time since 2021, while the entire north of Spain won’t witness any racing for the first time in 17 years.

This year’s race is perhaps more interesting than others, though, as Tadej Pogačar will return to take it on for the first time since 2019, when he made his debut.

He finished third overall in that event, and it remains the only Grand Tour he has yet to win. He won three stages and was named the best young rider as he wore the white jersey.

Since then, he has become the man to beat whenever he takes to the field in a Grand Tour. He won the Tour de France for a fifth time in July, and would become the ninth rider to complete the set if he were to claim victory in this one.

Betting Markets to Watch

Tadej Pogačar is the clear favourite for the 2026 Vuelta a España, with his odds extremely short in the cycling outright markets. This has perhaps been helped due to the absence of Jonas Vingegaard, who won the event last year.

Vingegaard became the eighth man to win all Grand Tours in May when he won the Giro d’Italia, but he suffered a broken collarbone during the Tour de France. Many feel that this almost clears the way for Pogačar to claim victory and complete the set.

Others to watch, though, include Felix Gall . He is considered Pogačar’s main contender in the betting, as the 28-year-old continues to showcase his skills as a reliable Grand Tour climber. He came second in the Giro d’Italia, finishing runner-up on five mountain stages.

There is significant value to explore in Primoz Roglic . The Slovenian won this Grand Tour in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2024, and his odds currently appear to be very inflated. However, this is likely due to his preparations being hampered.

He was hit by a car during training last month, which forced him to miss the Clásica San Sebastián and Vuelta a Burgos. Should he have recovered fully, though, Roglic will be one to keep an eye on.

Our Prediction

You can check out our latest Cycling betting odds. Our prediction is for Tadej Pogačar to be the likely winner.

Our long shot is Primoz Roglic, based on the reasons described above.