2026 Vuelta a España Stage 11: Van Aert Leads the Way as Brennan Takes His Third Win
Stage 11 of the 2026 Vuelta a España, from Cartagena to Lorca, was the first flat sprint stage of the race's second week. Four riders formed an early breakaway, but the peloton kept the gap under control before eventually bringing them back.
With the route affected by strong coastal winds and rolling terrain, the breakaway struggled to build a significant advantage. Movistar, protecting overall leader Enric Mas, stayed safely in the peloton while the main GC contenders remained together.
After the breakaway was caught, a few late attacks briefly disrupted the race, but the peloton was heading for a bunch sprint. During the final climb, Wout van Aert launched a short attack and took maximum points at the summit, although Santiago Buitrago was unable to respond after a gear-shifting problem.
The decisive moment came in the final kilometers. A technical V-shaped corner with 500 meters remaining created a crucial battle for position and increased the risk of crashes.
Visma-Lease a Bike executed its sprint perfectly. Van Aert produced a powerful lead-out and guided teammate Brennan into the final 150 meters. Brennan then launched his sprint and comfortably held off the chasing riders to claim his third stage victory of the 2026 Vuelta.
After Stage 11, Enric Mas retained the red jersey, Wout van Aert kept the green jersey, Santiago Buitrago held the polka-dot jersey, and Oscar Onley remained in the white jersey.
Stage 12 will take the riders from Vera to Calar Alto on September 3.
2026 Vuelta a España Stage 12: 20-Year-Old Slovenian Rider Makes History
The 2026 Vuelta a España Stage 12 saw 20-year-old Bahrain Victorious rider Paul Double? make history with a stunning solo victory on the climb to Calar Alto.
The 188-kilometer stage from Vera to Calar Alto featured more than 4,500 meters of elevation gain, with the finish at 2,153 meters above sea level—the highest summit finish of this year's Vuelta.
A large breakaway of more than 20 riders formed early in the stage, including Wout van Aert, Santiago Buitrago, João Almeida and Tobias Halland Johannessen. Van Aert and Buitrago battled for valuable climbing points, with Van Aert taking the upper hand at the first three categorized climbs and also collecting maximum points at an intermediate sprint.
As the race approached the final climb, the gap between the breakaway and the peloton grew to around 7 minutes 40 seconds. Bahrain Victorious rider Tadej Pogačar moved into virtual second place overall, only around 30 seconds behind race leader Enric Mas, forcing several GC teams to increase the pace in the peloton.
With 12 kilometers remaining, the 20-year-old Bahrain rider launched a decisive attack from the breakaway. Supported by two teammates, he quickly opened a gap and completed a superb solo ride to win on the summit finish.
The victory made him the youngest Slovenian winner of a Grand Tour stage, breaking a record previously held by Tadej Pogačar, who set the mark in 2019. He also became the second-youngest stage winner in Vuelta history, behind the record set by José Pérez in 1981.
His victory also moved him up to sixth overall, giving Bahrain Victorious renewed hopes of challenging for a place on the final GC podium.
Behind the breakaway, Enric Mas launched his own attack in the GC group and successfully gained more time on his main rivals. He extended his advantage over Primož Roglič and Richard Carapaz by roughly 30 seconds, while Ineos leader Oscar Onley lost further time after his earlier crash.
After Stage 12, Enric Mas retained the red jersey, Wout van Aert held the green jersey, Santiago Buitrago kept the polka-dot jersey, and Oscar Onley remained in white.
Stage 13 on September 4 will take the race from Almuñécar to Loja.
2026 Vuelta a España Stage 13: Van Aert Finally Takes His First Vuelta Victory
Wout van Aert finally claimed his first Vuelta a España stage victory on Stage 13, beating Dries Devenyns in a thrilling one-on-one finish after a chaotic day of breakaway action.
The 202-kilometer stage from Almuñécar to Loja featured around 3,400 meters of climbing. With nearly 50 kilometers of downhill and flat roads after the second categorized climb, most teams expected the stage to favor the breakaway.
More than 40 riders eventually escaped the peloton, with Van Aert and Bahrain Victorious' Santiago Buitrago once again battling for climbing points. Van Aert reached the first climb ahead of Buitrago, putting further pressure on the Colombian's lead in the mountains classification.
The large breakaway was repeatedly split by climbs and crashes. Q36.5 rider Jonathan de la Cruz was forced to abandon after a serious crash, while another rider escaped major injury after medical checks. The breakaway eventually split into two groups with a gap of more than 40 seconds.
After the second climb, the chasing group managed to close the gap, but Visma–Lease a Bike quickly launched another decisive move. Van Aert and teammate Matthew Brennan joined seven other riders in a new breakaway, giving Van Aert the crucial tactical advantage of having a teammate alongside him.
Brennan repeatedly disrupted attacks from rival riders, allowing Van Aert to conserve energy for the finale. With 3.5 kilometers remaining, Van Aert attacked and only Dries Devenyns from Soudal Quick-Step was able to follow. Brennan's work had successfully eliminated the rest of the breakaway.
Knowing he could not beat Van Aert in a sprint, the Quick-Step rider launched his final attack more than 300 meters from the finish. Van Aert stayed calm, responded decisively, a nd powered to victory.
The win marked Van Aert's first-ever stage victory at the Vuelta a España, adding another major result to his already impressive 2026 season.
After Stage 13, Enric Mas retained the red jersey, Van Aert kept the green jersey, Santiago Buitrago held the polka-dot jersey, and Oscar Onley remained in white.
Stage 14 on September 5 will take the race from Jaén to the summit finish at La Pandera.
2026 Vuelta a España Stage 14: Brennan Outsprints Buitrago for Tudor's First Victory
Tudor Pro Cycling's Matthew Brennan claimed a dramatic victory on Stage 14 of the 2026 Vuelta a España, coming from behind to overtake Santiago Buitrago in the final 200 meters and secure the team's first stage win of the race.
The 154.5-kilometer stage from Jaén to La Pandera featured 4,338 meters of climbing, making it one of the toughest mountain stages of the race. More than 40 riders eventually formed a large breakaway, including Buitrago, his Bahrain Victorious teammate Pello Bilbao, Richard Carapaz, and João Almeida.
With the GC teams initially choosing not to chase aggressively, the breakaway quickly gained more than five minutes. Buitrago won the first categorized climb before conserving energy for the final ascent. Several riders then launched attacks, but the breakaway repeatedly regrouped as the race approached La Pandera.
The final climb was 11.9 kilometers long at an average gradient of 7.2%. Guillaume Martin and other attackers briefly led the race, but Buitrago launched his decisive move with 3.5 kilometers remaining and soon moved into the lead.
With just 600 meters to go, Buitrago opened a gap over his remaining rivals and appeared to be heading for victory. However, Brennan refused to give up. The 24-year-old German rider stayed with Buitrago and launched his attack inside the final 300 meters.
Brennan's timing proved perfect. He overtook Buitrago with around 200 meters remaining and held on through the final uphill section to take the biggest victory of his career.
The result was particularly significant for Tudor Pro Cycling. Brennan, who won the Tour de Pologne overall title in August, was brought to the Vuelta as the team gave him a chance to compete at a higher level. He rewarded that confidence with Tudor's first Grand Tour stage victory of the 2026 season and moved into eighth place overall.
The GC battle also intensified behind the breakaway. Enric Mas attacked with five kilometers remaining and was followed by Felix Gall. Primož Roglič and Richard Carapaz attempted to respond, but Mas continued to gain time. After the stage, Mas led Gall by 2:06, while Gall moved four seconds ahead of Roglič in the overall standings.
After Stage 14, Enric Mas retained the red jersey, Wout van Aert held the green jersey, Santiago Buitrago kept the polka-dot jersey, and Oscar Onley remained in white.
Stage 15 on September 6 will take the race from Palma del Río to Córdoba.
2026 Vuelta a España Stage 15: Van Aert Strikes Again on Breakaway Day
Wout van Aert claimed his second Vuelta a España stage victory on Stage 15, winning from a five-rider breakaway after a fiercely contested day of attacks.
Due to extreme heat, the stage was shortened to just 110.2 kilometers, starting from La Rambla and finishing in Córdoba. With relatively flat roads at the beginning and several climbs in the middle of the route, teams expected another opportunity for the breakaway.
Several early attacks were neutralized before an 11-rider group finally escaped. However, Cofidis and Visma–Lease a Bike controlled the peloton and kept the gap close to one minute.
After the breakaway was caught on the first climb, EF Education–EasyPost's Georgios Steinhauser attacked over the summit and helped form another large breakaway. More riders joined, including Van Aert, whose presence immediately changed the dynamic of the race.
The growing breakaway also briefly worried race leader Enric Mas. Movistar had hoped to let the breakaway go and allow Visma and Cofidis to control the pace in the peloton, but Van Aert's move disrupted those plans.
The decisive action came after the second categorized climb. Tobias Halland Johannessen and Ramses Debruyne attacked, while Lorenzo Rota and Van Aert, together with Toms Skujiņš, bridged across to form a five-rider leading group.
The chasing breakaway group remained around a minute behind, while the peloton was roughly five minutes back. With the gap stable, the stage victory increasingly appeared destined to come from the front.
Inside the final three kilometers, Skujiņš attacked first, forcing Johannessen to respond. Van Aert then closed the gap and launched his own move with around 500 meters remaining.
Rota and Skujiņš tried to follow, but Van Aert's superior power proved decisive. He opened a clear gap and comfortably crossed the finish line to secure another stage victory.
The result capped another impressive performance from the Belgian all-rounder, who has already played a key role in helping teammate Matthew Brennan win three stages earlier in the race.
Van Aert also strengthened his lead in the points classification. With the second rest day approaching, he said he was looking forward to recovering before the final week and remained determined to target another stage win.
After Stage 15, Enric Mas retained the red jersey, Van Aert kept the green jersey, Santiago Buitrago held the polka-dot jersey, and Oscar Onley remained in white.
The Vuelta will return on September 8 with Stage 16 from Cortegana to La Rábida.
(Image source: Vuelta a España organizing committee)
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