The final lap of Stage 21 in Granada will be neutralised for general classification time after talks between the Vuelta a España organisers and the CPA, a late change that alters how the race will be decided on Sunday’s closing stage.
The adjustment means GC times will be taken after the fourth of five passages of the finish line, rather than at the end of the full circuit. The stage is still expected to produce a winner, but the overall standings will be settled before the final lap around the city.
Why the decision was made
The change follows safety concerns over the Granada circuit, which includes narrow roads, hairpins and slippery conditions through the centre of the city. On Saturday, Sander de Pestel raised those concerns publicly and said, “It’s not a circus.”
De Pestel, who rides for Decathlon-CMA CGM, also said he would not want Enric Mas to lose the Vuelta because of a crash and have no chance of coming back, and he did not want Roglič to lose another place because of a puncture. He added that if someone crashes or has a puncture with 40 kilometres to go, it would be impossible to come back.
He described the circuit as difficult and dangerous, pointing to the descents and the slippery roads in the centre of Granada. The decision to neutralise the final lap appears designed to reduce the risk of a late incident deciding the race, especially on a stage that closes a Grand Tour.
What changes for the finale
For Stage 21, the key difference is timing. The race will still run to the finish line, but the GC clock will stop before the final lap. That is unusual for a final stage, and it means the decisive time gaps will be set before the circuit is complete.
In practical terms, that should protect riders at the top of the standings from losing the race on a last-lap crash, puncture or other incident. It also shifts the focus of the finale away from late GC attacks and toward the stage result itself.
The move follows other recent races where final-day safety considerations affected how the overall competition was handled. In the last two years, the new course around Montmartre has closed the Tour de France and has also been neutralised, while Stage 15 at the 2026 Giro d’Italia around Milan was raced without GC times taken at the end.
For the Vuelta, the message is simple: the final lap in Granada will still be contested, but not for GC time. That should leave the main overall battle in place while reducing the chance that the race is decided by something outside the riders’ control.
