ASTANA – Kazakh cycling legend Alexander Vinokurov took part in a ceremonial ride of the opening stage course of the 2026 Vuelta a España in Monaco, joining former champions and Prince Albert II of Monaco ahead of the Grand Tour’s start. Alexander Vinokurov, Prince Albert II and Chris Froome.
Photo credit: Alexander Vinokurov The 2026 Vuelta will begin in Monaco on Aug. 21-22, with the first two stages of the race scheduled to take place in the principality, reported Kazinform on May 25. As part of a “100 days to go” event, organizers invited former cycling stars to test the opening stage route.
Participants included 2006 Vuelta winner Vinokurov, 2017 champion Chris Froome, Irish rider Nicolas Roche, and other invited guests, as well as Prince Albert II. Vinokurov, 52, demonstrated strong physical condition. Commenting on the ride, he said he missed racing.
“The track is magnificent. It’s truly for those who enjoy technical sections; you could say it is a real technical prologue. You need to be in good shape and know the course. In my opinion, someone like Tadej Pogačar, who lives in Monaco, could win in under 12 minutes.
But in any case, it is a wonderful route. If I were a rider, I’d love to race here,” Vinokurov said. The 2006 Vuelta a España winner remains active in sport through Ironman competitions and serves as general manager of the XDS Astana cycling team.