From the Principality of Monaco, which yesterday hosted the opening time trial won by Tadej Pogacar by a matter of hundredths over Ethan Hayter, the Vuelta begins its journey towards Spain and immediately proposes a tricky stage, the Monaco-Manosque of 214 km with 3,310 meters of elevation gain.

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First of all, this is the longest stage of this edition, and then - despite the only two categorized climbs scheduled - the riders will find very little flat terrain. Speaking of categorized climbs, the first points for the climbers' classification will be awarded at the Côte de Chateauneuf-Grasse, 3rd category, at km 32.3, 13 km at 2.9% and at the Col de Saint Andrieu, 3rd category, km 92, 5 km at 4.8%.

The stage features a very technical route in the first part, also due to the passage through important cities like Nice, and a more linear progression in the second half when the race will venture into the magnificent landscape of Provence touching Valensole in the finale - the authentic capital of lavender cultivation - before the finish line placed in the splendid Manosque. On paper it could be a finish suited for the sprinters, but the attackers could deliver the first surprise of the 2026 Vuelta. Also because the classification is extremely tight and someone might dream of conquering the red jersey...