2026 Vuelta a España: Preview of Stage 4: A gruelling stage in Andorra

​Key information on Stage 4 of the 2026 Vuelta a España

• Tuesday, 25 August: Andorra la Vella – Andorra la Vella
• 104.8 kilometres, 2,953 metres of elevation gain (mountainous)
• Mountain climbs: km 25.1 (1st category), km 59.3 (1st category), km 78.7 (1st category), km 100 (3rd category)
• Intermediate sprint: KM 68.4
• Bonus sprint: 100 km
• Start: 2.49 pm, Finish: approx. 5.22 pm
• Live updates and results

The route of the 4th stage of the Tour of Spain

On the fourth day of the Tour of Spain, the race still hasn’t reached its home country. A full day in Andorra is on the programme. The Principality is a regular fixture on the Vuelta; since 1965, 22 stages have started here and 27 have finished here. Five stages have been held entirely within the borders of this tiny country.

The stage, just 104.8 kilometres long, starts in Andorra la Vella and from there takes a detour to the Port d’Envalira (Category 1), the highest tarmac-surfaced pass in the Pyrenees. A 25-kilometre climb with an average gradient of 5.1 per cent takes the riders up to 2,409 metres – and then, after a short loop, back down the same route.

The route then heads for another bonus lap via the Collada de Beixalís (Category 1), which is significantly steeper. Riders must complete 6.5 kilometres at an average gradient of 8.5 per cent before tackling the Coll de Ordino, the next Category 1 climb. Another 9.9 kilometres with a 7 per cent gradient must be tackled. This is followed by a few kilometres of descent along the same route that was climbed a few hours earlier in the opposite direction, up to the Envalira.

Back in Andorra la Vella, there’s still a loop through the town to complete. Here, too, there’s another short climb to La Comella (3rd category) to tackle before the final five kilometres lead downhill to the start-finish straight. The total elevation gain is estimated at just under 3,000 metres.

A sporting analysis of Stage 4 of the 2026 Vuelta a España

The 2026 Vuelta isn’t holding back. It’s going all out. The next mountain stage is already on the fourth day. The Andorra leg is a real challenge; there’s hardly a metre of tarmac here that’s truly flat. Consequently, it’s not just climbing ability that’s required. Anyone who wants to succeed here must also be able to ride well downhill.

After the first mountain stage was cancelled due to the Hailstorms in the final As the stage was abandoned, the professionals were not yet able to really show what they’re made of on the climbs, and the cancellation meant there was no shake-up in the general classification. However, with the climbs now steeper than on the third day, the gaps are set to widen more significantly. And now that Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) has been denied the stage victory he was aiming for, he will once again be out to catch his rivals.

A race of their own is likely to unfold behind him. Anyone hoping to join the Slovenian on the overall podium will need to be in good form in Andorra.