The Vuelta a España wastes little time before taking the race into its first high-mountain challenge, and stage 6 promises to shape the early GC picture. At 170km, the route travels from Olot to Pal in Andorra, with a summit finish that has not featured in the race since 2010. This stage marks the fourth country visited in just six days, after the opening Italian start and a brief crossing into France, but the exotic detours are now behind the peloton. From here, the race settles back on Spanish soil, and today feels like the point where the Vuelta truly begins. With five summit finishes packed into the opening week, this first Andorran finale sets the tone, giving the GC favourites their first opportunity to test each other over sustained climbs. Riders who have hidden in the bunch so far will need to show their hand, while those targeting the breakaway will sense one of the few chances to get away before the overall contenders start to clamp down.
Date: Thursday 28th August
Distance: 170km
Start location: Olot
Finish location: Pal, Andorra
Start time: 12:35 CEST
Finish time: 17:16 CEST
The stage begins in Olot, a town nestled within the Garrotxa volcanic field in Catalonia, and climbs start almost immediately. The Collada de Sentigosa, an 11.4km category 3 ascent, sets the tone, with early slopes sure to encourage a fierce fight for the break. For those aiming to make the move, the terrain is unforgiving and demands climbing legs from the start. After a rolling descent, the race tackles the Collada de Toses, a 22km category 1 climb that is not especially steep but will sap energy as the peloton rides above 1,700 metres. Spending so much time at altitude this early in the race will expose those who have not trained extensively in similar conditions, and the pure climbers will be sharpening their instincts as the gradients begin to bite.
From La Molina, familiar to many from the Volta a Catalunya, the race drops into Seu d’Urgell before heading towards the Andorran border. Once inside the principality, the difficulty escalates with the Alto de la Comella, a 4km category 2 climb that rarely eases below double-digit gradients in its switchbacks. This short but brutal ascent is likely to provide the first real GC fireworks of the day, with teams like Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates-XRG well positioned to attack. The technical descent into La Massana that follows will punish hesitation, and any gaps created here could prove decisive ahead of the finale.
The final ascent to Pal, rated category 1, measures 9.7km at an average gradient of 6.4%. On paper it is one of the easier climbs in Andorra, but the accumulated fatigue of the day makes it far more selective. The opening switchbacks are the steepest and represent the best opportunity to force splits before the gradient eases slightly near the summit. This is where the strongest GC contenders will come to the fore, not necessarily to decide the overall winner, but to test each other and expose any weakness in rivals. With the summit sitting just below 1,900 metres, altitude training could be a deciding factor, and those comfortable at thinner oxygen levels will have an edge.
Contenders
A breakaway has a chance, but only if it contains the right mix of riders far enough down on GC to be given freedom. Jay Vine, Eddie Dunbar and Pablo Castrillo are all experienced stage winners who could target the move, while Carlos Verona and Chris Harper bring recent success from the Giro d’Italia. Others, such as Marco Frigo and Matthew Riccitello, are also strong candidates if allowed space. However, if UAE, Visma or Ineos decide to keep control, the stage is likely to come down to a battle between the overall favourites.
Among the main GC names, Jonas Vingegaard, João Almeida and Juan Ayuso will be closely watched, but this terrain could suit Egan Bernal perfectly. The Colombian thrives on steady, high-altitude climbs and has looked increasingly sharp during the opening week. Giulio Ciccone, David Gaudu and Jai Hindley are all poised to feature, while Matteo Jorgenson and Felix Gall offer interesting outside options should the pace ease before the finale.
Prediction
Egan Bernal to win stage 6. The gradients and altitude are ideal for him, and Ineos Grenadiers are likely to back him with a steady, controlled pace on the lower slopes before launching him near the summit.
