Vuelta a España partially gives in to riders’ neutralisation request for final stage

The final stage of the Vuelta a España in Granada will go ahead as planned, but the general classification times will be taken with 10 kilometres remaining. The organisation confirmed the decision after several reports from AS journalist Dani Miranda. With the move, La Vuelta is partially responding to the peloton’s request to fully neutralise the final stage. However, there will be no repeat of the chaotic 2025 finale in Madrid.

Many people will still remember last year’s Vuelta all too well. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) won the race, but the protests attracted much of the attention. There had already been a neutralization in the Basque Country, while the finish of Stage 16 also had to be moved because of demonstrations calling for Israel - Premier Tech to be removed from the race.

Things reached boiling point during the final stage. Changes had already been made to the route, but ultimately it was decided that Stage 21 could not go ahead because of the danger posed by the demonstrations. It was a disappointing conclusion for Vingegaard, although he was eventually still able to celebrate his overall victory on an improvised podium.

This year, organizers have opted for a finish outside the Spanish capital. On this occasion, that has nothing to do with the possibility of protests. A Formula 1 race is being held on the streets of Madrid this weekend, leaving no room for the Vuelta a España. The race has therefore moved its finale to Granada in Andalusia, where a circuit around the Alhambra is supposed to provide a spectacular conclusion.

At least, that is the plan. There is now a genuine possibility that the Vuelta could once again have a final stage that does not proceed as intended. Spanish cycling journalist Daniel Miranda of AS reports that the teams consider the circuit in Granada too dangerous. More than half of the teams are said to have voted in favor of neutralizing the final stage.

Whether that will actually happen remains to be seen. Both the Vuelta organization and the UCI are opposed to the teams’ proposal and want Stage 21 to go ahead as planned. They are not in favor of neutralization. A final decision is expected after the result of Stage 20.

A compromise was eventually reached on Sunday afternoon. In agreement with the UCI commissioners, the organisation decided that the general classification times would be recorded with one local lap of 9.8 kilometres still remaining. The time bonuses at the finish will not count, while points for the points classification will still be awarded.

The decision means the stage will still have a winner and the riders can race for the final victory, but the overall classification will not be affected during the most critical part of the finale.