2026 Vuelta a España stage 11 preview | Another chance for the fast men to lock horns
CyclingTuesday, 01 September 2026 at 17:37
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Follow us on GoogleThe Vuelta a España isn’t exactly known for its flat stages, but on Day 11 of the 2026 edition, we do have one. That’s certainly what you’d think when you see the profile of the 151-kilometer stage, which features just 1,300 meters of elevation gain. IDL Pro Cycling breaks down what you can expect between Cartagena and Lorca!
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Stage 11 Route of the 2026 Vuelta a España
The eleventh stage of the Vuelta a España starts in Cartagena, which is located just inland. We’ll start with an uphill climb featuring two obstacles, followed by a long curve along the coast.
However, we do not expect the two hills—1.8 kilometers at a 5.5 percent grade and 2.1 kilometers at a 4.7 percent grade, respectively—to have a significant impact on the day’s result. At most, a breakaway group will form, because after that, the climbing is pretty much over.
The middle section of this stage is downright flat. From Los Nietos, located at sea level, we head to Totana, situated at 237 meters; that’s also where the intermediate sprint is held, immediately followed by the stage’s decisive climb.
The Alto del Morion de Totana, located 40 kilometers from the finish line, is 7.8 kilometers long with a 4.5 percent gradient. Since the climb is fairly gradual, we don’t immediately expect a team to try to drop the sprinters here.
From the summit, we’ll reach Lorca fairly quickly, since that section is mostly downhill. Between 3 and 2.5 kilometers from the finish, there are two fairly sharp turns, after which—except for five roundabouts—the route runs in a straight line to the finish. Tyler Farrar, also a sprinter, won there for the last time in the Vuelta in 2010.
Times
Start: 1:50 p.m CET
Finish: 5:30 p.m CET
Start: 1:50 p.m CET
Finish: 5:30 p.m CET
Weather, Stage 11 of the 2026 Vuelta a España
We’re in southern Spain, which means it’s still quite hot in early September. Wednesday will be no different between Cartagena and Lorca, with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. For most of the day, we’ll have a tailwind at wind force three. Along the coast, that could theoretically pose a danger, though it would take some determined teams to make it happen.
Favorites for Stage 11 of the 2026 Vuelta a España
So there aren’t many opportunities for the pure sprinters in the Vuelta a España, but this is one of them. And the fast men will be keen to seize it with both hands: some of them haven’t even had a chance to sprint at all in the first half of the race, such as Lotto-Intermarché rider Steffen De Schuyteneer.
The clear favourite is undoubtedly Matthew Brennan, who has already won two stages for Visma | Lease a Bike. On Tuesday, the team played the Wout van Aert card, but on Wednesday, in a flatter stage, it will likely be the young Brit’s turn again. Brennan can count on a strong lead-out from Van Aert and Christophe Laporte.
In terms of pure speed, Jordi Meeus of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe is perhaps the man most likely to challenge him, but the Belgian does not have a sprint train at his disposal. However, the Frenchmen Bryan Coquard (Cofidis, Saturday) and Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ, Tuesday) have already proved in this Vuelta that you don’t necessarily need one.
Mads Pedersen has come close twice already for Lidl-Trek, but he hasn’t been feeling his best for a few days and was forced to drop back early again on Tuesday. On a flat finish like Wednesday’s, his chances aren’t great anyway.
Otherwise, this Vuelta features mainly fast riders who are good at tackling a small hill. Alberto Dainese (Soudal Quick-Step) and Alessandro Romele (XDS-Astana) are two strong Italians, whilst the French riders Hugo Hofstetter (Uno-X), Jordan Labrosse (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Axel Laurance (Netcompany INEOS) are also capable of finishing strongly.
The same applies to Orluis Aular (Movistar), Magnus Cort (Uno-X) and Pau Miquel (Bahrain Victorious), whilst someone like Stefan Küng (Tudor) might well try his luck with an attack.
IDL Pro Cycling top picks, Stage 11, 2026 Vuelta a España
Top favourite: Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Outsiders: Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Alessandro Romele (XDS-Astana) en Alberto Dainese (Soudal Quick-Step)Long shots: Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Orluis Aular (Movistar), Magnus Cort (Uno-X), Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike), Steffen De Schuyteneer (Lotto-Intermarché), Hugo Hofstetter (Uno-X), Jordan Labrosse (Decathlon CMA CGM), Axel Laurance (Netcompany INEOS) en Pau Miquel (Lidl-Trek)
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
- Yes, Pogi has won five Tour de France's. He won in 2020/21/24/25/26. Jonas has won two in 2022/23. Pogi also has 13 monuments he has won. Details on a quick Google search or go to procyclingstats.com.qpshealing01-09-2026
- - Great read, but the article mixes up the Worlds timeline a tad. MvdP beat Wout in Glasgow; Pog was third. He hasn’t won the last two road worlds—did you mean GP Montréal twice? Clarify please. Still, allez Mathieu! Vamos!raceready701-09-2026
- - People forget MvdP’s MTB grid spots always hamstring him; it’s not like he lost pure legs. Start loop chaos decides half the race in Val di Sole. Bring on skinny tyres—defending champ vibes in Canada, even if it’s a different profile than Glasgow.pedalpowe2901-09-2026
- - Hoping Pog is okay—collarbone plus a vertebra and a concussion is no joke. Even if he lines up, hard to see him at 100%. GP Montréal history says he loves that parcours though.michael5401-09-2026
- - Wait, if Pogačar won the last two Worlds “by a wide margin,” were those road worlds or something else? I thought Glasgow 2023 was MvdP’s rainbow jersey on the road. Bit confused there.patriciaw01-09-2026
- - Tough day on the MTB, but context matters: fifth-row start in Val di Sole is brutal. Pidcock threaded the needle like a wizard, but MvdP never found the flow. Montreal suits him way better—punchy laps, positioning, and that final drag. If WvA rides for Belgium, the tactics will be spicy.robert6501-09-2026
- - “2026 likely out of the question” feels dramatic. Surely the question is 2024 Worlds/Euros being out, not skipping an entire season? Author might be reaching a bit.breakawaybikerd01-09-2026
- - How common is it for teams to delay clavicle surgery because of a concussion? Is that standard practice or case-by-case?samanthak01-09-2026
- - Concussion protocol will be key here. No way they risk him for Worlds or Euros, especially with the vertebra involved. Better to reset for 2025 objectives.jennifer1901-09-2026
- - Wait, the piece says “five-time Tour winner”—do you mean five Monuments winner? He’s got 2 Tours, right? Bit confusing there.julien01-09-2026
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