Discover La Vuelta Femenina: The First Women’s Grand Tour of the Season ⋆ CyclingScoop

The 2026 edition of the women’s Vuelta has moved up in the calendar… and it starts this week!

Discover the first Grand Tour of the season and what to expect for this race through Spain.

La Vuelta Femenina is now held in May, making it the first Grand Tour of the calendar.

Most people think the men’s Giro d’Italia is the first Grand Tour of the season. But did you know the women are coming first, with a beautiful race in a somewhat unexpected location — sunny spring Spain?

The women’s equivalent of La Vuelta a España, La Vuelta Femenina, will be held from May 3rd to May 9th in 2026.

This year’s route is one of the most ambitious and exciting in the twelve years that this race has been part of the women’s calendar.

In 2026, the peloton will tackle the famed climb at Angliru for a decisive final stage that’s sure to offer some of the most exciting racing of the season!

Embed from Getty Images

The women’s Vuelta has a relatively short but interesting history.

Unlike the men’s version of the Vuelta, which has a long history in the sport, the modern Vuelta Femenina has existed for only a few years.

The race started in 2015 as a one-day race, and didn’t become part of the World Tour until the following year. After that, it became a two-day race in 2018, followed by a change to three days in 2020. It wasn’t until 2023 that the race changed to seven days, a longer contest befitting of a women’s Grand Tour equivalent. The name change to La Vuelta Femenina is also recent, with some past versions of the race being called the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta.

Despite that this race is newer to the calendar and not as long as the men’s race, it’s still a challenge worthy of the best riders in the peloton.

The route of the 2026 Vuelta Femenina takes riders to Galicia.

Like in past years, the route of this year’s race promises GC action right until the end. This year, two consecutive challenges on Stage 6 and Stage 7 could shake up the leader’s jersey, even right at the summit of Angliru — the conclusion of this year’s Vuelta Femenina.

The entire route will be just under 820 kilometers in length and include four puncheur stages, one sprinter’s stage, and two big climbing stages. There will not be a time trial in the race.

Here are the stages of La Vuelta Femenina 2026:

Stage 1: Marín to Salvaterra de Miño

This opening stage will feature rolling hills with two mid-race climbs, Alto do Cruceiro and Alto da Portela. The finish is an uphill suitable for a punchier rider to win; who will grab the first leader’s jersey of this year’s race?

Stage 2: Lobios to San Cibrao das Viñas

Despite not being a true mountain stage, this stage will feature some formidable climbs. Watch out for a potential breakaway win on this day, as the peloton will come up a short climb followed by a short descent before the finish. Exciting!

Stage 3: Padrón to A Coruña

This is another one for the puncheurs in the peloton. Here, we’re more likely to see a reduced bunch sprint as the group will roll into a relatively flat finish in A Coruña.

Stage 4: Monforte de Lemos to Antas de Ulla

Here, we’re getting closer to the mountains… and again, the peloton will tackle some rolling hills over the course of the day. Look out for the category 3 climbs in the midst of the stage, and the slight uphill at the finale which will challenge whoever makes it there first.

Stage 5: León to Astorga

A flatter stage is perfect for sprinters, although like the rest of this year’s course, there are some hills along the way. The low and slow descent into Astorga will give any stragglers time to catch up in time to contest the sprint though, and the GC favorites will rest for the two challenging days to come.

Stage 6: Gijón to Les Praeres Nava

The first of two climbing challenges to bring the GC contest of this year’s race to a head! Here, the riders will tackle Les Praeres Nava, a rampas inhumanas with an average gradient of 13.5%. This mountaintop finish will be the first real chance to settle the leader’s jersey on the shoulders of a favorite, but don’t be fooled! There’s still room for a surprise on the final day…

Stage 7: Pola de Lavianna to L’Angliru

One of the most iconic climbs of La Vuelta will be the decider of this year’s GC contest. This is the first time this climb has been featured in the women’s version of the race. Here, the peloton will go over three other smaller climbs before facing the giant head-on. Another true mountaintop finish, with a long and steep climb of up to 13% average gradient in section, will decide the winner of this year’s GC!

Embed from Getty Images

Who are the top riders to watch in La Vuelta Femenina 2026?

This year, the winner of last year’s race, Demi Vollering, will not be at the start line. Before that, the jersey was held for three consecutive years by Annemiek van Vleuten, who has since retired from the sport.

This leaves the field open for someone new to take the red jersey. While some teams are clearly coming in with a focused GC strategy, some are playing it more flexible, and may be changing reduced bunch sprint or stage wins instead. Additionally, some riders are preparing for the women’s Giro d’Italia or Tour de France Femmes; this means we might see a mix of form among the top starters, leaving some room for a surprise.

GC favorites…

A top favorite this year is Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the winner of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes. Last year, she was forced to abandon the race on Stage 5, so this is an ideal time for some revenge in the form of a red jersey. She’s already performed well across the early season, with her schedule including Strade Bianche, Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. However, it’s not really known if this race is a target for her, or whether she’s building form to defend her title at the TDFF later in the year.

Vollering’s team, FDJ United-Suez, is bringing two leaders to the race in the stead of the former red jersey champ. Both Juliette Berthet and Evita Muzic could contend for a chance at the overall win. In fact, both were in the top 10 of the previous year and should be eager for their own opportunity this year!

… And some surprises.

Another top team, SD Worx ProTime, is bringing both a GC leader, Anna van der Breggen, and a strong all-rounder in Lotte Kopecky. Van der Breggen has looked strong through the early season, and while Kopecky might be looking for a stage win of her own, she will also be a great support for the GC leader of her team.

For team Canyon-SRAM, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney might be a contender, at least for a podium spot. While she was looking strong through the Ardennes classics, she also might not be targeting this race as a primary goal of the season. Femke de Vries, a teammate of Ferrand-Prévot on team Visma Lease-a-Bike, might be a wildcard for a podium spot as well. It’s especially likely after her few strong early-season performances, including at the UAE Tour.

Embed from Getty Images

Where can I stream or watch La Vuelta Femenina 2026?

If you aren’t in Spain and can’t go to watch live, don’t worry: all stages of the race will have broadcast coverage. See the options below for how to watch this year’s race, or check with your local broadcaster for other possibilities.

United States: La Vuelta Femenina will be covered in the USA by NBC Sports via Peacock, with live and replay streaming for each stage.

Canada: Canadian viewers should plan to watch La Vuelta Femenina via FloBikes.

Europe and the United Kingdom: In Spain, look for free on-air coverage by RTVE. Sporza will also be broadcasting the race for free to viewers. Viewers in the UK can check TNT Sports and HBO Max for live and replay coverage of each stage.

Australia: Australian viewers can watch La Vuelta Femenina via SBS sports. Both live coverage and replays are free from this broadcaster as well.

Embed from Getty Images

After La Vuelta Femenina, more racing through Spain for the women’s peloton.

If you’re not ready to give up the beautiful sights and scenery of Spain after just one week, don’t worry! The women’s racing season will stay in the region for more racing through the month of May.

Itzulia Women is a three-day race starting on May 13th, an equivalent of the men’s race of the same name which happened earlier in the season. Here, the peloton will travel through the picturesque Basque country, tackling the hills and valleys (and some serious climbing!) along the way. Next, the Vuelta a Burgos is a four-day race kicking off on May 21st, that will feature a mix of sprint and climbing stages.

While these races aren’t necessarily big names on the women’s calendar, they’re still fantastic chances to see the peloton in action, and catch some of the reasons why Spain is such a wonderful host country for both men’s and women’s cycling.