- Stage 19: Vélez-Málaga - Peñas Blancas. Estepona
- Date: September 11, 2026
- Distance: 210.8km
- Elevation gain: 3,987
- Start time: 12:06 CEST
- Finish time: 17:14 CEST
Stage details
At 210.8 kilometres, stage 19 is one of the longest stages of the Vuelta a España, and will be prime breakaway hunting terrain but the final first category climb could also launch a GC battle.
Leaving Vélez-Málaga on the Costa del Sol, the route follows the coast for 10 kilometres to Málaga before turning inland. The first major ascent comes 70 kilometres further in as the race enters the Serranía de Ronda. Two second category climbs in quick succession, Puerto de Las Abejas and Puerto del Viento, will soften legs, followed by more climbing over the next 63 kilometres.
Then a 23-kilometre descent brings the riders back to the coast at San Pedro de Alcántara, where they will follow the Mediterranean for around 20 kilometres before tackling the decisive final climb to Peñas Blancas which returns three years after Richard Carapaz’s victory in 2022.
Climbs
- Puerto de Las Abejas (cat. 2, 14.5km at 4.3%), km. 91
- Puerto del Viento (cat. 3, 13.1km at 3.7%), km. 111.3
- Peñas Blancas. Estepona (cat. 1, 18.7km at 6.5%), km. 210.8
Sprints
Sprints
- Estepona, km. 186.1
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