Monaco is making cycling history and, following the 1966 Giro d’Italia and the 2009 Tour de France, will become the first venue to have hosted the opening stages of all three Grand Tours. The 9.4-kilometre opening time trial of the Vuelta a España will take place on 22 August, taking the 184 riders through the Principality. Between the start in Monaco and the finish in Granada, the route covers more than 58,000 metres of climbing, making the 2026 Vuelta one of the most demanding Grand Tours.
Monaco: the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta
The 1966 Giro d’Italia marked the first Grand Tour to start in Monaco. On 18 May 1966, 100 riders from ten teams signed their entry contracts in front of the Palace in the presence of Prince Rainier III and Princess Gracia. The event celebrated the centenary of Monte Carlo, which Prince Charles III had founded on 1 July 1866, shortly after the opening of the casino. On the eve of the race, the teams made their first-ever night-time appearance between 9 and 10 pm in a live broadcast on Eurovision. The Italian-American presenter Mike Bongiorno hosted the first Giro festival, featuring singers and entertainment acts.
Jacques Anquetil was aiming for his third Giro victory, but lost three minutes on the very first stage from Monaco to Diano Marina due to a careless spectator. The Frenchman had to hold his own against a new generation of Italian riders and ultimately finished third behind Gianni Motta and Italo Zilioli.
The 2009 Tour de France and Contador
The 2009 Tour de France once again put Monaco in the cycling spotlight. Alberto Contador cemented his status as a champion in this race, having surprisingly won the Tour in 2007 and achieved the Giro-Vuelta double in 2008. This double has remained unique since the reform of the racing calendar in 1995. Fabian Cancellara won the opening time trial on 4 July 2009.
Two days before the time trial, 14-year-old Victor Langellotti was among the schoolchildren from Monaco who were invited onto the stage for the team presentation. He accompanied his idol, Alberto Contador, and his Astana team-mates. Langellotti later became the third professional cyclist with Monegasque citizenship, following Laurent Devalle and Albert Vigna in the 1920s. At the 2022 Vuelta, he became the first Monegasque to wear a classification jersey in a Grand Tour – the blue and white mountains jersey.
Pogacar’s dream of the Vuelta
Tadej Pogacar is taking part in the Vuelta a España for the first time and is aiming to win all three Grand Tours. The five-time Tour de France winner lives in Monaco and will ride past his home during the time trial on 22 August. As a young professional, Pogacar demonstrated his potential over three weeks at the 2019 Vuelta, finishing third and winning three stages. An overall victory would make him the ninth rider to have won all three Grand Tours. Before him, this feat was achieved by Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, Chris Froome and, since May, Jonas Vingegaard.
Langellotti and XDS-Astana
There is also a very special home race in Monaco: Victor Langellotti joined XDS-Astana at the start of August 2026. Langellotti has been riding for the Monegasque time trial and road champion since June. The transfer took place shortly before the start of the Vuelta in his home country of Monaco.
Vuelta finale in Granada
The Tour of Spain finishes on 13 September in front of the Alhambra in Granada. The palace complex embodies nine centuries of Mediterranean civilisation and provides a backdrop every bit as prestigious as the Casino in Monaco. The route between these two venues challenges the riders with more than 58,000 metres of climbing, making the 2026 Vuelta one of the most mountainous Grand Tours in history.
Kristian Bauer
Editor