Page Contributor(s): Photos: A.S.O. / Unipublic / Cxcling / Antonio Baixauli
INTRO
At 214.3 km, Stage 2 is the longest stage of opening week and the Vuelta's first look at classic French backroads: a hilly transition from the Côte d'Azur into Provence on Sunday, August 23. The route rolls out of Monaco along the coast through Nice's western suburbs and Cagnes-sur-Mer before turning inland above Grasse — France's perfume capital — and crossing two categorized rises, the Category 3 Alto Châteauneuf-Grasse (km 32) and Category 3 Col de Saint Andrieu (km 92), on its way through the Gorges du Verdon foothills to Manosque.
Neither climb is decisive on paper, but a long, rolling day with almost 10,000 ft of gain packed into modest gradients tends to wear a bunch down - expect a fast, punchy stage that could suit a breakaway or set up a reduced sprint depending on how the two climbs are raced.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. Stage 2 carries almost 10,000 ft of gain over 214 km, but nearly all of it comes in short, punchy ramps rather than sustained climbing. The two categorized rises are both Category 3: Alto Châteauneuf-Grasse tops out at km 32.3 (elevation 407 m), and Col de Saint Andrieu — the tougher of the two at roughly 4.7 km and 4.8% — crests at km 92.4 (elevation 508 m).
Beyond those two climbs, expect a rolling, undulating profile through the hill towns above Grasse and the Provençal plateau toward Manosque — nothing steep enough to isolate specialist climbers, but enough terrain to sting tired legs late in a long stage.
Race day closes the full route from Monaco to Manosque, but outside the Vuelta this is open, rural French road riding — well-paved D-roads through Cagnes-sur-Mer, Grasse, Draguignan-area hill villages (Aups, Régusse, Quinson), the Verdon foothills, and the lavender plateau around Valensole before dropping into Manosque.
Expect light-to-moderate traffic outside the coastal towns, frequent roundabouts entering village centers, and long stretches with few services — plan fuel and water stops in towns like Grasse, Aups, or Gréoux-les-Bains rather than counting on roadside options in between.
A standard road bike with a compact or mid-compact crankset handles both Category 3 climbs comfortably — neither is steep enough to demand climbing-specific gearing. The bigger challenge on this stage is its length: at 214 km, plan for a full day in the saddle with real nutrition, not just water.
Refill bottles in the towns along the route (Grasse, Aups, Gréoux-les-Bains, Valensole) rather than relying on rural stretches between them, and expect warm, dry August conditions typical of inland Provence.
This stage is a great excuse to link up two very different sides of southern France: the Côte d'Azur glamour of Monaco and Nice, and the lavender-and-limestone landscape of Provence around Valensole and the Gorges du Verdon. If you're visiting in August, the lavender fields near Valensole are at or just past peak bloom — worth a detour even if you're not riding the full stage.
Grasse, the route's midpoint, is worth a stop for its perfume houses (Fragonard, Molinard) and hilltop old town. Manosque, the finish town, is a low-key regional hub in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence with easy access back toward Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.
ROUTE MAP
