2026 Vuelta a Murcia Race Preview
The details of this year's 2026 Vuelta a Murcia are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The Vuelta a Murcia is back. Starting on Feb. 13–14, the two-day race welcomes sprinters, classics specialists and climbers alike. Set in scenic southern Spain, this race offers an early-season challenge for ProTour teams seeking stiff competition.
Over the years, the event has taken on different formats, most recently a one-day race since 2021, but this year it returns to a two-stage format. In 2024, Jan Christen of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team won after an unpredictable finale.
This year’s start list includes several world-class teams like UAE Team Emirates XRG, Bahrain Victorious, Soudal Quick-Step, Movistar Team, XDS Astana Team and Lotto–Intermarché. Tom Pidcock, leading the Pinarello-backed Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, will take the start line against other heavy hitters such as Tim Wellens, Benoît Cosnefroy, Pello Bilbao, Matej Mohorič and Simone Velasco.
Before their Tour de France successes, Pedro Delgado won the inaugural edition of Murcia in 1981, and Miguel Induráin won in 1986. The race has consistently attracted top-tier cyclists, including Marco Pantani, who won in 1999 as both the reigning Giro d’Italia and Tour de France champion.
In recent editions, Murcia native Alejandro Valverde has been dominant, claiming five overall wins. The race’s list of winners also includes Denis Menchov, Alberto Contador, although he was later stripped of his 2011 title, Nairo Quintana and Philippe Gilbert.
Get our full coverage of the Vuelta a Murcia and every race we cover with our mobile app! The apps have over 100 additional exclusive features, including our award-winning Time Machine feature that lets you pause/rewind/replay the entire app to sync with delayed race video, integrated Fantasy Cycling, push notifications, an integrated news feed, live GPS tracking, world-class commentary, and our animated interactive maps and profiles.
