Monday, 5 January 2026, 14:54
Malaga province will host the start of the 72nd Vuelta a Andalucía when the historic stage race returns in February, placing the Costa del Sol at the centre of the opening two days.
Organisers confirmed that Benahavís will stage the start on 18 February, with Torrox hosting the following day’s departure, underscoring the province’s prominence in the race’s early narrative.
The opening stage runs 163 kilometres from Benahavís to Pizarra and is firmly Malaga-focused. Riders will tackle the Puerto del Madroño, a first-category climb, and the Puerto del Viento before traversing the Sierra de las Nieves and descending into the Guadalhorce Valley.
The finish in Pizarra is suited to a reduced sprint if the breakaway is caught, with an intermediate sprint also scheduled. It marks a rare international finish for the town, which last hosted such an event in 2024 during the women’s race.
Stage two starts in Torrox and heads east into Granada province over more than 138 kilometres to Otura. The first-category Puerto de la Cabra sits far from the finish but could animate the race, followed later by the third-category Alto de la Malahá before the run-in to the line.
Beyond Malaga, the race continues through Jaén, Cordoba and Seville provinces before concluding in Lucena on 22 February, where successive ascents of the Alto de la Primera Cruz are expected to decide the overall winner.