Vuelta a España 2026: the latest news before the start

The startlist is complete: 23 teams, 184 riders

At 3pm local time on Saturday, 184 riders from 23 teams roll out for the opening time trial in Monaco. Alongside the 18 WorldTeams, five wildcard squads have been invited, including several Spanish ProTeams hoping for an early breakaway and a day in the polka-dot jersey. Compared with the provisional list published earlier this summer, little has changed: aside from a single crash during preparation, virtually every announced team leader is actually on the start line.

Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe bring not one but two Vuelta winners to the start line in Primož Roglič and Sepp Kuss — a uniquely luxurious position. UAE Team Emirates–XRG do exactly the same with Tadej Pogačar and João Almeida, while Soudal Quick-Step is banking on the Remco Evenepoel–Mikel Landa tandem. Movistar have built their entire squad around Enric Mas, Team Visma–Lease a Bike around Matteo Jorgenson, and INEOS Grenadiers around Carlos Rodríguez. For the sprints, Kaden Groves (Alpecin–Deceuninck) is one of the fastest names on the list.

Team presentation in Monaco: every name confirmed

On Thursday 20 August, two days before the start, all 23 teams were presented on the Place du Casino in Monte Carlo — a nod to the time trial that passes through it two days later. None of the previously announced team leaders pulled out; the only doubt concerned a minor crash suffered by a support rider in the final week of training, who was ultimately deemed fit enough to start. For the sports directors, it was mainly a chance to clarify the pecking order within their dual-leader duos, although most answers stayed noticeably vague.

The forecast: heat in Monaco, mistral risk in Provence

Around 29 degrees is expected for Saturday's opening time trial, with little wind along the coast — ideal conditions for the pure powerhouses. More worrying is stage two into Manosque: forecasters are factoring in a rising mistral from the north, the notorious cold, cutting wind that howls down the Rhône valley. If that forecast holds, the peloton could already split into echelons on day two, long before the mountains come into view — a scenario making every sports director nervous this week.

The rumours: who's the real leader at UAE and Red Bull–BORA?

The biggest talking point in the paddock remains the leadership question at UAE Team Emirates–XRG. Pogačar is the leader on paper for his debut, but Almeida arrives at this Vuelta with far more racing rhythm this season. Team management is deliberately keeping the door ajar: whoever comes out on top after the first mountain stage gets a free hand. Sources close to the team speak of internal agreements that won't be definitively revisited until the Jerez time trial, deep into the third week.

At Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe the hierarchy is officially settled — Roglič is the leader, Kuss the domestique — but the American showed in his final preparation races that he can still ride for his own chances. Should Roglič lose time early, Kuss is the logical replacement, and everyone in the team knows it. Bookmakers have barely adjusted their odds this week: Roglič remains the narrow favourite ahead of Pogačar, with Evenepoel and Almeida as outsiders for the podium.

What to watch for already

Want to go through the full route and key stages once more? Read our complete guide to the 2026 Vuelta a España or dive straight into the favourites, the Grand Départ in Monaco, stage 6's sterrato or the Sierra Nevada queen stage. And curious which member of the top field matches your character best? Take the Vuelta quiz before the flag drops on Saturday.