2026 Vuelta a España mountain classification favourites | Will Pogačar let anyone else play?
CyclingThursday, 20 August 2026 at 19:49
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Follow us on GoogleThe Vuelta a España is the land of legendary mountain kings. Federico Bahamontes, José María Jiménez, Julio Jiménez, Alberto Contador... It’s an impressive list of high-fliers. There’s plenty of climbing to be done in Spain, and this year’s Vuelta a España has once again laid out a course for the mountain specialists. Jay Vine has been the best for the past two years: will he claim his third title, or is it someone else’s turn now?
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Ever since its first edition in 1935, the mountains jersey has been a fixture in the Vuelta a España. Over the course of more than ninety years of history, José Maria Jiménez, José Luis Laguía, and David Moncoutié have proven to be the undisputed kings of the mountains: each of the three has won the mountains jersey no fewer than five times.
The point system in Spain is always a little different from that of the Tour de France. There are no fourth-category climbs: the scoring starts with the third category, where a maximum of three points can be earned. For a second-category climb, you can earn five points, while the first category is divided into two subcategories. If you earn the points along the way, you can earn a maximum of ten points. If you earn them at the finish, it’s fifteen points.
And then there’s the “out of category” climb. It lives up to its name, because there’s only one climb with that designation in this edition. The Collado del Alguacil is the final climb of the penultimate stage and is a terribly steep pass. Whoever reaches the top first earns 20 points.
Third-category points:
3, 2, 1
3, 2, 1
Second-category points:
5, 3, 1
5, 3, 1
First-category points (along the route):
10, 6, 4, 2, 1
10, 6, 4, 2, 1
First-category points (upon arrival):
15, 10, 6, 4, 2
15, 10, 6, 4, 2
Points in a class of their own:
20, 15, 10, 6, 4, 2
20, 15, 10, 6, 4, 2
Watch now or coming soon on *In de Leiderstrui*:
- Preview of the 2026 Vuelta a España
- General Classification Favorites
- Points classification favorites
- Young rider classification favorites
- Fantasy cycling tips for the 2026 Vuelta a España
- Preview of the 2026 Vuelta a España
- General Classification Favorites
- Points classification favorites
- Young rider classification favorites
- Fantasy cycling tips for the 2026 Vuelta a España
Recent Winners of the Vuelta a España Polka Dot Jersey (Mountain Classification)
2025 Jay Vine
2024 Jay Vine
2023 Remco Evenepoel
2022 Richard Carapaz
2021 Michael Storer
2020 Guillaume Martin
2019 Geoffroy Bouchard
2018 Thomas De Gendt
2017 Omar Fraile
2016 Omar Fraile
2024 Jay Vine
2023 Remco Evenepoel
2022 Richard Carapaz
2021 Michael Storer
2020 Guillaume Martin
2019 Geoffroy Bouchard
2018 Thomas De Gendt
2017 Omar Fraile
2016 Omar Fraile
2026 Vuelta a España mountain classification favourites
This list was compiled based on the opinions of current and former editorial staff members of *In de Leiderstrui*, who submitted their top ten contenders.
Felix Gall - Decathlon CMA CGM
Felix Gall is undoubtedly one of the very best climbers on the Vuelta a España starting list. The Austrian rider from Decathlon CMA CGM finished second in the Giro d'Italia and is once again aiming for a spot on the final podium in the last Grand Tour of the year. Given his strengths, he should go far in the mountains classification.
But one thing I’m pretty sure of is that he won’t make it his main goal. If he’s aiming for the overall standings, there will likely be someone better anyway, and that person will therefore rack up more points. But if the overall standings fall through, he can pull off a nice Plan B.
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Sepp Kuss - Visma | Lease a Bike
Well, what can you say about Sepp Kuss? His climbing skills are undeniable. He proved that in this year’s Giro d’Italia with a stage win, and he came close to victory in the Tour de France as well. On top of that, he won the overall classification at the Vuelta in 2023. In 2020 and 2021, he also wore the mountains jersey for a short while. A recipe for success, right?
Maybe. The fact is that the 31-year-old American would probably much rather win stages. If that ultimately leads to a mountain jersey, great. But it’s also possible that he’ll have to give way to his younger teammates, Jørgen Nordhagen and Ben Tulett. What’s more, this Vuelta is already the fifth (!) Grand Tour in a row for Kuss, who is sure to feel the fatigue in his legs.
Santiago Buitrago - Bahrain-Victorious
It’s always hard to know what to expect from Santiago Buitrago. The word “inconsistency” certainly fits the Colombian rider from Bahrain-Victorious, who will be riding for NSN next year. That’s why he’ll surely want to shine for his team one more time, and there are opportunities to do so in the Vuelta.
Buitrago weighs 59 kilos and has the explosiveness to win mountain sprints. But this year, he’s been struggling to find his form. He won the Trofeo Laigueglia, but other than that, we haven’t heard much from him. He’s already won two stages in the Giro d’Italia: if he can get those legs back, he could be a very strong contender for the polka-dot jersey.
Finn Fisher-Black - Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
For Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, Primoz Roglic is the most important factor shaping the race. Normally, the Slovenian would be the undisputed team leader, but his crash in training has taken some of the pressure off him. And that also means his teammates will have more freedom. For Finn Fisher-Black, this could turn out to be a great opportunity.
The New Zealander is still waiting for his big breakthrough. In recent years, he has mainly shown that he can accelerate very quickly on difficult finishes, but he also finished second in the Tour of Poland and sixth in last year’s UAE Tour. So he’s definitely a strong climber as well. Climbing legs and explosiveness: a perfect combination for mountain sprints, of course.
Ben Tulett - Visma | Lease a Bike
Ben Tulett is in his sixth year as a pro, but he’s still only 24 years old. The British rider from Visma | Lease a Bike is competing in his third Grand Tour and is being viewed as one of the team leaders for the first time. Riding in support of Jonas Vingegaard, he had a stellar Vuelta in 2025, so this year he gets to take the lead himself.
His preparation was a bit hit-or-miss. He finished third in the Clásica de San Sebastián, but he struggled a bit in the Vuelta a Burgos. Can he compete for the general classification? Maybe, but it might be better to take advantage of his freedom by waiting for opportunities and winning stages. And then the polka-dot jersey will naturally come into view for the climber.
Lorenzo Fortunato - XDS Astana
When you say “king of the mountains,” Lorenzo Fortunato’s name comes to mind almost immediately. The Italian won the mountains jersey at the 2025 Giro d’Italia, and he did so in such a way that everyone immediately marked him as a contender for the upcoming KOM battles. Now 30 years old, the climber is a rare breed: a true featherweight, a natural successor to someone like Domenico Pozzovivo.
Weighing in at 57 kilos, he handles the steepest climbs with ease. Things have been a bit tougher for Fortunato this year, but with a tenth-place finish in the Tour of Burgos, his preparation for the Vuelta hasn’t been bad. He’s part of a true maverick team, so we’ll undoubtedly see the Italian at the front often.
Tobias Halland Johannessen - Uno-X Mobility
2025 may have marked Tobias Halland Johannessen’s breakthrough as a general classification contender, but in 2026, the Norwegian managed to take another step forward. Ninth in the UAE Tour, fourth in the Tirreno-Adriatico, third in the Tour of the Basque Country, and fifth in the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes—it was quite surprising that he didn’t succeed in the Tour de France.
There, he faltered a bit, but regained his composure with an extremely aggressive riding style. Unfortunately, a stage win wasn’t in the cards. Now he’s heading to Monaco for the Vuelta. And this time, he isn’t focusing primarily on the general classification: stage wins are his absolute top priority. There seem to be few riders who can climb better than Johannessen.
Richard Carapaz - EF Education-EasyPost
Oh, Richard Carapaz, what would cycling be without you? The Ecuadorian rider from EF Education-EasyPost showed once again in the Tour de France why everyone loves him. With two phenomenal stage wins and the mountains jersey, the Jaguar of Tulcán put on a spectacular performance, and he also clinched the super combativity award.
After his success in the Tour, he’ll also be competing in the Vuelta. If he were to take the same approach as he did in July, we would have put Carapaz at the top of the list without a doubt. But this time, he’s going for the general classification. That makes him one of the top contenders for the podium, though it does hurt his chances for the polka-dot jersey a bit. But Carapaz is still Carapaz!
Tadej Pogacar - UAE Team Emirates-XRG
The news that Tadej Pogacar would be competing in the Vuelta was really only half a surprise. There had been plenty of rumors and leaks, but it must still have come as a bit of a shock to the riders with certain ambitions. Anyone who thought they had a shot at the red jersey now has to hope for a miracle. The Slovenian is by far the top favorite to win the overall title.
It also immediately means that the attackers have fewer opportunities, and consequently, so do the riders competing for the polka-dot jersey. He won the Tour de France five times, and on three occasions he also took home the polka-dot jersey. If he wins five or six stages in the Vuelta, there’s a good chance he’ll earn enough points to become uncatchable in the mountains classification.
Valentin Paret-Peintre - Soudal Quick-Step
One thing we know for sure about Valentin Paret-Peintre is that he isn’t too keen on racing for the general classification. That’s a major advantage in the battle for the polka-dot jersey. He came to the Tour de France with the goal of winning the polka-dot jersey: he got to wear it for a few days, even though Pogacar had more points. In the end, he had to concede defeat to Carapaz.
He'll be there at the Vuelta, too, just like Pogacar. But they don't have much of an eye on the polka-dot jersey. And Paret-Peintre? He'd probably be up for that kind of battle. He's never won a mountains classification in a Grand Tour, but this could very well be his moment.
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- - Carapaz for GC over KOM after that Tour show? Hm. Risky. EF might pivot fast if he loses time early—El Jaguar loves a jersey hunt.breakawaybikerd20-08-2026
- - Santiago Buitrago has been inconsistent, yeah, but writing him off is harsh. He only needs one big raid to flip the table. Remember Laigueglia form didn’t vanish—maybe it’s timing his peak.sprocketspiny20-08-2026
- - Paret-Peintre feels underrated here. He clearly targets jerseys and stages, and with Pog and Carapaz eyeing GC, he’ll roam. Could be the sleeper polka-dot.tourdeforce920-08-2026
- - I’m a bit lost on the two subcategories for first-category climbs—does “upon arrival” mean stage finish only, and “along route” is any non-finish 1st-cat? And do both award points to 5 riders?robert6520-08-2026
- - Lorenzo Fortunato at 57kg on Spanish walls? Sí señor. If he finds Giro 2025 legs, he’ll dance on Alguacil. Forza Lorenzo!cadencekingm20-08-2026
- - Sepp Kuss doing a fifth straight Grand Tour is mad. Legs gotta be cooked. Stage wins over KOM seems realistic, but Visma’s pecking order can flip mid-race—Tulett could actually farm points if he’s freed. Good shout.pedalpowe2920-08-2026
- - Felix Gall as a Plan B for KOM makes sense, but if he’s really riding podium ambition, he won’t burn matches in third-cat scraps. If his GC cracks, he’ll be lethal in breaks—agree there.davidm20-08-2026
- - Quick question: why is Finn Fisher-Black singled out over Uijtdebroeks or Hindley types for KOM potential at BORA? Does his punch suit the Vuelta’s summit finishes more, or is this just reading off his Poland/UAE results?cyclechamp4520-08-2026
- - Not sure I buy the idea that Pogacar automatically hoovers up the polka dots if he wins 5-6 stages. If UAE rides tempo for red, he won’t be in the intermediate KOM sprints. GC dominance doesn’t always equal KOM—see Carapaz vs Pogačar dynamics at the Tour.andrewf20-08-2026
- - Love the depth on the KOM points structure this year. The split first-category totals (route vs summit finish) will really reward breakaway timing. Collado del Alguacil as the lone HC feels brutal and decisive.michael5420-08-2026
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