2026 Vuelta a España Stage 20 Route Changed Due to Landslides
The Andalusian Landslides That Forced a Route Rewrite
Heading into the final stretch of the season, the toughest stage of the Spanish Grand Tour has undergone major surgery. According to race organisers Unipublic, serious flash flooding in the Granada area during February triggered destructive landslides that left the Cat. 1 Alto de Hazallanas completely impassable. The climb, which famously paved the way for Chris Horner’s 2013 overall victory and witnessed Adam Yates’ solo masterclass in 2024, has been pulled from the penultimate day of racing.
Climbing Profiles: Puerto de El Duque Versus Alto de Hazallanas
Rising out of the same deep, rocky River Genil valley as Hazallanas, El Duque shares its final two kilometres with the older route, eventually intersecting the main road up to the Sierra Nevada ski station at an altitude of 1,670 metres.
| Climb Name | Category | Length (km) | Average Gradient | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alto de Hazallanas | Cat. 1 | 5.5 km | 9.8% | Features brutal 18% and 19% lower slopes; impassable due to landslides. |
| Puerto de El Duque | Cat. 1 | 4.8 km | 8.2% | Slightly shorter and marginally less steep; identical final two kilometers. |
While El Duque is marginally shorter at roughly 4.8 kilometres and features a milder average gradient of 8.2% compared to Hazallanas’ 9.8%, it lacks the punishing series of 18% and 19% ramps found immediately after the technical descent from Güejar Sierra. To compensate for this drop in raw steepness, race directors added a double ascent of the Cat. 1 Alto de El Purche before sending the GC contenders toward El Duque and the unprecedented summit finish on the Hors Categorie Collado del Alguacil.
Total Stage Metrics and the Impact on GC Contenders
Despite the forced detours, the overall length of stage 20 remains almost identical to the initial blueprint, shifting from 187 kilometres to 186.8 kilometres. Total vertical elevation gain hovers near the 5,000-metre mark, nearly matching the originally planned 5,120 metres. Pogačar and his rivals will still face an exceptionally attritional day in the saddle as they tackle the unprecedented Collado del Alguacil summit finish.
The Final Circuit Through Granada
The hostilities conclude 24 hours later on Sunday, September 13, with a 99-kilometre final stage centred firmly in Granada. According to official race schedules, the stage begins with a Carrefour supermarket start, echoing the 2024 Grand Départ structure seen in Jerez de la Frontera. The final act features local circuits incorporating a short, sharp climb past the historic Alhambra monument before plunging down a technical descent to a broad boulevard and park finish next to the River Genil.