The 3rd Grand Tour of the year, the Vuelta a España, or Tour of Spain in English, will take place in 2024 between Saturday August 17 and Sunday September 8.
With a 3-stage Grand Départ in Portugal, followed by 18 stages covering both the south and north of Spain, this is a race without respite, in search of the many difficulties that the riders will have to climb. Let's review the route of the Vuelta a España 2024, presented some ten days ago.

The route of the Tour of Spain 2024 in detail

21 stages will include 2 individual time trials over a total of 34 km, starting in Lisbon, Portugal and finishing in Madrid, 1 flat stage, 5 medium mountain stages, 8 mountain stages and 5 hilly stages, 2 of which will finish at altitude. 2 rest days complete the 3,265 km route.

1/ Saturday, August 17, 2024 - Lisbon (Lisboa) 🇵🇹 > Oeiras 🇵🇹 - individual time trial - 12 km

The Vuelta a España 2024 will begin with a time trial in Portugal, starting in Lisbon and finishing in Oeiras, with a virtually flat course in between. Over this short distance, it will be an exercise for specialists in the discipline, even if the wind could play a role on this course, which runs along the coast all the way.

2/ Sunday, August 18, 2024 - Cascais 🇵🇹 > Ourém 🇵🇹 - 191 km

The second stage will be the first road stage, in this case a hilly stage starting from Cascais and heading north to roughly the center (on a north-south base) of Portugal. Two 4th-category difficulties are officially listed on this 191-kilometer route, the Alto do Lagoa Azul (^ 284 m) at km 8.9 at the start of the stage, and the Alto da Batalha (^ 381 m) at the very end, with its summit less than 20 kilometers from the finish in Ourém. In all likelihood, however, this first stage will still feature a sprint finish.

3/ Monday August 19, 2024 - Lousã 🇵🇹 > Castelo Branco 🇵🇹 - 182 km

The Tour of Spain 2024 riders end their stay in Portugal with another rugged stage. Starting from Lousã, it's a 182-kilometer stage with a rather different profile to the previous stage. Before halfway, the riders will have already climbed the Alto de Teixeira (^ 856), climbing 556 metres in 17.8 kilometers on a multi-stage ascent (for an average gradient of 3.1%). A first selection can already be made at this level, even if there's still a long way to go and it will still be possible to regroup. Another difficulty, of 4th category, lies much further on, the Alto de Alpedrinha (^ 744 m). Once at the top of the Alto de Alpedrinha, there are still 42.2 kilometers to go, mostly on a downhill false flat. Another massive sprint in sight?

4/ Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Plasencia > Pico Villuercas - 167 km

Stage 4, the first on Spanish soil, is then immediately the first mountain stage - starting from Plasencia - with 3 difficulties during the stage, respectively 2nd (Puerto de Cabezabellosa [^ 936 m]), 1st (Alto de Piornal [^ 1198 m]) and 3rd category (Puerto de Miravete [^ 668 m]) before a high altitude finish at Pico Villuercas (^ 1549 m).

5/ Wednesday August 21, 2024 - Fuente del Maestre > Sevilla - 170 km

A little respite then for this fifth stage, which gets off to a slightly bumpy start at Fuente del Maestre before beginning the descent to the finish in Sevilla, which will no doubt be contested in a bunch sprint.

6/ Thursday August 22, 2024 - Jerez de la Frontera > Yunquera - 181 km

After this relative calm, stage 6 sees the return of the mountain stages from Jerez de la Frontera. Over 181 kilometers, only the first 50 will be flat. They then attack the only first-category difficulty of the day, the Puerto del Boyar (^ 1106 m), followed a little further on by three 3rd-category difficulties, the Alto de Ronda (^ 750 m), the Puerto del Viento (^ 1070 m) and the Puerto Martinez (^ 737 m). After a short passage through the valley, the final climb awaits the riders, l'Alto de las Abejas (^ 734 m), also 3rd category.

7/ Friday, August 23, 2024 - Archidona > Córdoba - 179 km

Stage 7, which starts in Archidona, is labelled "hilly", but the first 140 km to the finish in Córdoba are almost completely flat. However, soon after crossing the finish line for the first time, the riders attack the climb of l'Alto del 14% (^ 590 m), a category 2 difficulty which could well reduce the peloton to a sprint on the way back to the city of Córdoba, even if the last 10 km are once again flat.

8/ Saturday, August 24, 2024 - Ubeda > Cazorla - 159 km

In the second half of the stage between Ubeda and Cazorla, it's the passes and climbs of the province of Jaén that make this a medium-mountain stage.

After around a hundred kilometers on the flat, the Vuelta a España 2024 riders will attack the 2nd category Puerto Mirador de las Palomas (^ 1249 m), and after the gradual descent of this, a gradual ascent also begins, which will ultimately lead to the high altitude finish at the top of the 3rd category difficulty at Sierra de Cazorla (^ 1056 m).

9/ Sunday August 25, 2024 - Motril > Granada - 178 km

Starting from Motril, it's a tough stage that the organizers of the Vuelta a España have reserved for the riders at the end of this first week of the race.

Before tackling the listed difficulties, it's in fact the positive altitude difference that the riders will retain from this stage, before attacking a triptych of 1st category difficulties, the Puerto de El Purche (^ 1498 m) and the Alto de Hazallanas (^ 1675 m), which they will climb a second time in a circuit, before heading for the finish in Granada, which takes place downhill.

R1/ Monday August 26, 2024 - Ponteareas

From the south of Spain, a plane will then take the riders to the east of the country, just north of Portugal, to Ponteareas. There, they'll be able to rest up after an already exhausting first week, before tackling the rest of the Tour of Spain.

10/ Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - Ponteareas > Baiona - 160 km

After a rest day, the race attacks again with a mountain stage, starting from Ponteareas.

After an initial short section heading east to seek out the 1st category Alto de Fonfria (^ 805 m), the race finally heads west and towards the coast to finally reach a triptych of climbs and passes, starting with the Alto de Vilachán (^ 385 m), of 3rd category, and l'Alto de Mabia (^ 443 m), of 2nd category, before a new difficulty of 1st category, l'Alto de Mougás (^ 632 m), which summit is with approximately 20 kilometers of the arrival to Baiona which will inevitably see a reduced peloton or even a breakaway fighting for the victory.

11/ Wednesday, August 28, 2024 - Padrón > Padrón - 164 km

Stage 11 will follow a rather unusual route. Firstly, because it takes place in a loop around the Campus Tecnológico Cortizo in Padrón, but also because within this loop, the race will make several loops to cross the finish line several times, and to go after one of the 3 difficulties a second time!

In the end, the riders will have to climb Puerto San Xusto (^ 445 m, 2nd category) before crossing the finish line for the first time, then Puerto Aguasantas (^ 451 m, 2nd category), followed by a second crossing of the finish line and then this second difficulty again. Without returning to the finish line this time, they continue their route up the third-category Puerto Cruxeiras (^ 317 m). At the top of the latter, they will be less than 8 kilometers from the finish line, which is at the starting point at the Campus Tecnológico Cortizo in Padrón.

12/ Thursday, August 29, 2024 - Orense > Estación de Montaña de Manzaneda - 133 km

Starting from Orense, this Thursday, August 29, 2024 stage is short (133 km) but not easy: the first part is made up of short climbs and descents, before the final ascent to Estación de Montaña de Manzaneda (^ 1492 m), 13 km from the finish.

13/ Friday, August 30, 2024 - Lugo > Puerto de Ancares - 171 km

The 13th stage on this Friday, August 30, 2024 will start in Lugo and will be punctuated by 3 difficulties along the way, starting with a 3rd category climb, Alto Campo de Arbre (^ 803 m), followed a little further on by the 2nd category Alto O Portel (^ 1068 m). After a long passage through the valley, it's in the last 40 km that the difficulties return. First an unreferenced climb, then the 2nd-category Puerto de Lumeras (^ 1043 m, 6.7 km at 6%), followed by the final first-category climb, the Puerto de Ancares, an unprecedented climb on La Vuelta, 7.7 km long with an average gradient of 9% and ramps of 15%, and even an average gradient of 12% in the last 5 km.

14/ Saturday, August 31, 2024 - Villafranca del Bierzo > Villablino - 199 km

The 14th stage will be the longest of this Vuelta a España 2024, starting in Villafranca del Bierzo. From the start of the stage, the route is uphill, before tackling the first real difficulty in the middle of the stage, the Puerto de Cerredo (^ 1368 m). After a long descent, there remains a 23-kilometer-long 1st category difficulty, the Puerto de Leitariegos (^ 1528 m). Descending halfway down, the riders arrive at the final flat section to the finish in Villablino.

15/ Sunday, September 1, 2024 - Infiesto > Valgrande-Pajares | Cuitu Negru - 142 km

A much shorter stage for this Sunday of the 3rd weekend, but far from easier, is this 15th stage from Infiesto in Asturias. The riders will make a double ascent of the 1st-category Alto de la Colladiella (^ 848 m, 7.8 km at 7.1%), with the 3rd-category Alto de Santo Emiliano (^ 525 m) in between. A little further on, they'll be left with the impressive climb of Cuitu Negru (^ 1843 m, 19 km at 7%), a outside-category climb.

R2/ Monday, September 2, 2023 - rest in Luanco

After a quick transfer to the coast, the Vuelta a España 2024 riders can rest on the coast in Luanco.

16/ Tuesday September 3, 2024 - Luanco > Lagos de Covadonga - 181 km

At first glance, the profile of this 16th stage on the day after the second rest day might seem easy compared to previous ones, but the scale is quite different, with the highest point of the stage (at the altitude finish) at 1085 meters.

Before getting there, after 70 kilometers of calm, the riders attack the 1st category Mirador del Fito climb (^ 584 m, 7 km at 8.1%), before finding the Collada Llomena (^ 1003 m, 7.6 km at 9.3%), also a 1st category climb, some 40 kilometers further on.
After a long descent, the final, outside-category climb to the Lagos de Covadonga (^ 1085 m, 12.1 km at 7.1%) begins 12.1 kilometers from the finish.

17/ Wednesday, September 4, 2024 - Arnuero > Santander - 143 km

In the middle of this final week, a medium-mountain stage awaits the riders at the start in Arnuero, an unprecedented start at the foot of the Monumento Juan del Castillo.

In the middle of the stage are two 2nd category difficulties, l'Alto de la Estranguada (^ 682 m) and l'Alto del Caracol (^ 822 m), but this should not prevent the sprinters who have survived so far from taking the last opportunity of this Vuelta a España 2024 for a sprint victory at the finish in Santander.

18/ Thursday, September 5, 2024 - Vitoria-Gasteiz > Maeztu | Parque Natural de Izki - 175 km

The 18th stage from Vitoria-Gasteiz will be one for puncheurs, with two listed difficulties, the 2nd-category Alto de Rivas de Tereso (^ 948 m) after the first third of the stage and, much further on, the 1st-category Puerto Herrera (^ 1100 m, 5.4 km at 8.7%) which summit is 45 kilometers from the finish in Maetzu in the Parque Natural de Izki.

19/ Friday, September 6, 2024 - Logroño > Alto de Moncalvillo - 168 km

This 19th stage, on the eve of the final weekend of the Vuelta a España 2024, will start in Logroño. Apart from the 3rd category climb, the Puerto de Pradilla (^ 1240 m), at the halfway point, the stage is fully flat or just slightly uphill, but the real difficulty lies in the final section with the final climb to the Alto de Moncalvillo (^ 1490 m, 8.3 km at 9.1%), a 1st category climb.

20/ Saturday, September 7, 2024 - Villarcayo > Picón Blanco - 188 km

The penultimate stage of this Tour of Spain, the last stage in line, will be a mountain stage starting from Villcarcayo, with no less than 7 difficulties on the program! The first 24 km of the stage are flat, but then the various difficulties follow each other almost without interruption (there is only a short passage on the flat before the final climb). These are, in 3rd category, the climb to Las Estacas de Truebal (^ 1150 m) and the Puerto de la Braguía (^ 750 m), followed by an alternation of four 2nd and 1st category climbs, the Alto del Caracol (^ 819 m), the Portillo de Lunada (^ 1323 m, 14 km at 6.1%), the Portillo de la Sia (^ 1235 m) and the Puerto de Los Tomos (^ 918 m, 13.2 km at 5.5%). Then a small flat area before the final climb to Picón Blanco.

21/ Sunday, September 8, 2024 - Madrid > Madrid - individual time trial - 22 km

If the overall classification has not yet been decided, the final stage, a 22 km individual time trial on a flat course starting and finishing in Madrid, could still create gaps in the battle for the red jersey of overall winner of the Vuelta a España 2024. A 350 km transfer will precede this final stage in the Spanish capital, Madrid.

Global map of the Tour of Spain 2024 route

The route in 3D video

Tour of Spain 2024 route map

door Thomas Vergouwen
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this publication is published in: Vuelta a España | Vuelta a España 2024

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