The stage 2 of La Vuelta 2026 will take the peloton this Sunday from Monaco to Manosque. Its 214.3 kilometers make it the longest day of this edition and the first opportunity for sprinters after the inaugural time trial.
The neutralized start will take place at 12:00 in Monaco. The launched start is scheduled for 12:42 and the first riders could reach Manosque around 17:16, if the fastest average calculated by the organization is met.
Tadej Pogacar will defend the red jersey after winning the first stage by nine hundredths over Ethan Hayter.
Schedule of stage 2 of La Vuelta
These are the main schedules of the day:
• Neutralized start from Monaco: 12:00.
• Launched start: 12:42.
• Start of the broadcast on Teledeporte and RTVE Play: 14:50.
• Start of the broadcast on La 2: 16:15.
• First expected arrival time: 17:16.
• Arrival with the intermediate average: 17:30.
• Last expected arrival: 17:44.
The final schedule will depend on the speed of the peloton, the formation of the breakaway, and the development of the last kilometers.
Route between Monaco and Manosque
The race will leave Monaco to enter France and cross part of Provence. The first part of the route will be technical, with tunnels, roundabouts, turns, and passing through towns around Nice.
The organization classifies the stage as undulating. It does not present a high mountain finish, but includes enough terrain for a breakaway to form and to punish sprinters who have difficulties on the climbs.
The Alto de Châteauneuf-Grasse appears at kilometer 44.7. It is a third-category climb with 13 kilometers of ascent and an average gradient of 2.9%.
The second scoring point will be the Col de Saint-Andrieu, also of third category. It has five kilometers at 4.8% and is located approximately in the middle of the route.
From there, there will be a long and broken terrain towards Manosque. The Provençal roads and the succession of direction changes may favor breakaway attempts and force the sprinters' teams to spend riders before the finish.
Where to watch La Vuelta 2026 for free
The stage can be watched for free on Teledeporte and RTVE Play from 14:50. La 2 will connect with the race starting at 16:15 to offer the decisive stretch and the finish.
Eurosport 1 will broadcast the stage from 14:45. The retransmission will also be available through HBO Max for users who have contracted the corresponding service.
RTVE Play allows following the race online from mobile phones, computers, tablets, and compatible televisions.
Pogacar defends the red jersey
Pogacar starts the second stage as leader after completing the 9.4 kilometers of the time trial in Monaco in 10 minutes, 57 seconds, and 14 hundredths.
Ethan Hayter marked the same second, but was nine hundredths behind the Slovenian. Joshua Tarling occupies third place, four seconds behind.
The narrowness of the differences forces the UAE Team Emirates-XRG to control bonuses, splits, and possible breaks. A mass arrival would allow Pogacar to maintain the lead, but any incident in a stage of more than five hours could alter the classification.
The day will end in Manosque before the first finish at altitude. The stage 3 on Monday will cover 174 kilometers between Gruissan-Aude and Font Romeu, with a first-category climb and a second-category finish.