La Vuelta 2025 route announced with two stages in Catalonia

La Vuelta a España, one of cycling's major grand tours, has announced its 2025 route featuring two stages in Catalonia. 

The race will kick off in Piemonte in Italy on August 23 and finish in Madrid on September 14. 

Stages 5 and 6 will be the first in Spain after the race begins in the Italian Alps, while one stage also finishes in France. 

Stage 5 will be a team time trial in Figueres, while stage 6 brings riders from Olot to Andorra. 

The Vuelta 2025 is made up of 21 stages in total, covering a distance of 3,151 km from August 23 to September 14, next year.

90th anniversary

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the La Vuelta race, which started in 1935.

To mark the occasion, race organizers want to revive some of the most historic climbs that have marked the history of this tour over these nine decades.

The Angliru, an indisputable symbol of the modern day La Vuelta, was an obvious choice to include. This Asturian colossus has been climbed nine times since 1999. It was the scene of two memorable victories for Alberto Contador, in 2008 and on the eve of his retirement in 2017.

The first of the top ten ascents will be brand new to the race, as La Vuelta will visit Italy for the first time. The other climbs are well known, however.

La Vuelta has not returned to Pal (Andorra) since Igor Antón's victory in 2010; to Cerler since 2007, despite being one of the most frequent mountain finals in history (11 times); to Valdezcaray since the Australian Simon Clarke, still active, began his conquest of the Maillot de la Montaña in 2012; to Larra Belagua since Remco Evenepoel vindicated himself after losing ground in the Tourmalet in 2023; and at Alto de el Morredero since Alejandro Valverde won there in 2006.

The course will also give between four and six opportunities for sprinters, including the one that will decide the first carrier of the red jersey in Novara.

There will be two time trials during this year's course, one for teams (20 km, stage 5) in Figueres, northern Catalonia, marking the start of the race on Iberian soil, and one individual (25 km, stage 18) in Valladolid.

The fate of next year's La Vuelta could also be decided in mid-mountain stages: in Bilbao (stage 11) with the climb to Pike and a double ascent to El Vivero, and the next day with the Collada de Brenes, a first-class port 23 km from the finish line in Los Corrales de Buelna.

The 90th anniversary will be celebrated at the Venaria Reale, one of the largest royal residences in the world dating back to the 17th century. The place is well known to cyclists as the Giro d'Italia started from there on two occasions (2011 and 2024).

Catalaonia hosts La Vuelta 2023

The 2023 edition of La Vuelta saw Barcelona as its base, with the first four stages taking place in and around Catalonia. 

Starting at the Olympic Port in the Catalan capital, the 2023 grand tour kicked off with a 14km team time trial through the city. 

Stage Two began in Mataró and finished in Barcelona, going through commuter towns such as Sabadell, Manresa, and Molins de Rei. 

The third stage started in Súria, central Catalonia, and finished in Andorra with a steep incline in the Pyrenees mountains.

Stage Four saw cyclists sprint from Andorra la Vella south to Tarragona, almost entirely downhill letting riders reach high speeds, before taking on two uphill peaks near the southern Catalan city. 

Tour de France 2026 

Barcelona will host the start of the Tour de France for the first time in history in 2026.

The Catalan capital will join the handful of cities that have hosted the Grand Départ of the world's most prestigious cycling race.

Three stages of the Tour will be held in Catalonia from July 4 to 6. The first will take place entirely in Barcelona, while the second will start from a different location and finish in the Catalan capital. 

The city's mayor Jaume Collboni made the official announcement on Tuesday in a joint press conference with Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme.

"This is a historic milestone. It confirms Barcelona's role as an international sports capital," he said.

Barcelona has hosted a few stages of the Tour throughout its history, but it has never hosted the Grand Départ. The last time the race came to Barcelona was in 2009.

Girona, a "cycling Mecca"

Over the past few years, the northern Catalan city of Girona has become one of the best places in the world for cycling. Between professional athletes moving to set up new lives in the city, to amateur enthusiasts visiting on two wheels, Girona has become a world capital for the sport.

In 2018, some 40,000 cyclists visited the city, with an estimated economic impact of €89 million according to a study from the University of Girona, and the cyclo-tourism industry has continued to grow from strength to strength since the pandemic. 

So why is Girona so good for cycling?

According to former professional mountain biker Dave Walsh, the city is "the perfect storm" for cycling. "It's got good roads, good climate, good range of terrains, and different places to cycle which is really good for training." 

Christian Meier, another Girona resident, spent over a decade with professional UCI teams, and he says it's the variety of road available to cyclists that makes the region so special for the sport.