2026 Vuelta a España Stages 6–10

2026 Vuelta a España Stage 6: Pogačar Beats Home Favorite Mas in a Thrilling Sprint

Stage 6 of the 2026 Vuelta a España, from Alcossebre to Castellón, covered 178 km and featured two tough climbs in the final 50 km.

Several riders initially formed a breakaway, but the group was gradually caught as UAE Team Emirates increased the pace. On the final gravel climb, Tadej Pogačar launched a powerful attack and quickly distanced his rivals. He later caught the remaining breakaway rider, Ramses Debruyne, with around 3 km to go.

Just when it looked like another dominant Pogačar solo performance was coming, Movistar's Enric Mas made a remarkable comeback. Racing in front of his home fans, Mas caught and briefly overtook Pogačar near the top of the climb.

The two riders then descended together on a technical and dangerous section. Pogačar attempted several attacks but made a mistake on an S-bend, narrowly avoiding a crash. Mas chose safety over gaining time and worked with Pogačar to reach the finish safely.

With just over 200 meters remaining, Pogačar launched his sprint and beat Mas to take the stage victory. Despite the fierce battle, the two riders celebrated together after crossing the finish line.

Mas' strong performance also moved him up to second place overall, while Primož Roglič finished 48 seconds behind. Mas also climbed to second in the mountains classification and will wear the polka-dot jersey as the next rider in line.

After Stage 6, Pogačar holds the red, green, and polka-dot jerseys, while Paul Seixas retains the white jersey. Stage 7 will take the riders from Alcossebre to Castellón on August 28.

2026 Vuelta a España Stage 7: Uno-X Duo Shine as Leknessund Wins Solo

Stage 7 of the 2026 Vuelta a España, from Valderrobres to Valdelinares, offered a major opportunity for breakaway specialists. With the GC teams choosing not to control the race early on, two breakaway groups quickly built a large advantage.

Uno-X Mobility's Tobias Halland Johannessen and Andreas Leknessund were among the key riders in the breakaway, alongside Wout van Aert and several other strong climbers. As the race reached the final climb to Valdelinares, the battle for victory was reduced to Leknessund, Johannessen and Van Aert.

With around 7 km remaining, Leknessund attacked with support from his teammate Johannessen. Van Aert was forced to respond while also dealing with Johannessen's pressure. Unable to close the gap, Van Aert watched Leknessund ride clear.

Leknessund eventually crossed the finish line alone, winning the stage by 47 seconds. Johannessen completed a memorable day for Uno-X Mobility by taking second, while Van Aert finished third.

Although Van Aert missed out on the stage victory, his aggressive long-range breakaway paid off in the points classification. He collected enough points during the intermediate sprint and at the finish to move two points ahead of Tadej Pogačar and take the green jersey.

Behind the breakaway, the GC contenders fought on the final kilometers. With 3 km remaining, Pogačar launched an attack. Decathlon's Felix Gall and Enric Mas were the only riders able to respond initially, while Primož Roglič and other GC contenders were dropped.

Pogačar then gradually increased his advantage and gained another 10 seconds over his rivals. He strengthened his position at the top of the overall standings, while Mas remained second overall, 3:50 behind Pogačar and more than a minute ahead of Roglič in third.

After Stage 7, Pogačar retained the red and polka-dot jerseys, while Van Aert took the green jersey and Paul Seixas held the white jersey.

Stage 8 will take the riders from Puçol to Serra on August 29.

2026 Vuelta a España Stage 8: Pogačar Abandons with Injury as Coquard Wins Sprint

Stage 8 of the 2026 Vuelta a España, from Puçol to Serra, was marked by a series of crashes, including a major incident that forced Tadej Pogačar to abandon the race.

The stage was expected to end in a bunch sprint, so most teams kept the pace controlled in the early kilometers. Several crashes occurred throughout the race, with Primož Roglič also suffering minor injuries and having to be helped back into the peloton by his Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe teammates.

With around 33 km remaining, Pogačar crashed after apparently hitting an object on the road. Initial reports suggested a stone was responsible, but video analysis later indicated that a camera battery may have been lying on the road. Pogačar was unable to continue and was forced to abandon the Vuelta.

His withdrawal dramatically changed the overall race. Enric Mas, who had been second overall, inherited the red jersey, giving Movistar a new opportunity to fight for the overall title. Mas expressed his respect for Pogačar after the race and wished him a speedy recovery.

Pogačar's departure also changed the points classification battle. Wout van Aert retained the green jersey, while the absence of Pogačar opened up more tactical possibilities for the other GC contenders. Roglič, despite his earlier crash, also remains one of the main candidates for overall victory.

The final kilometer brought another major crash that split the peloton and disrupted several sprint trains. Visma-Lease a Bike lost contact with their sprinter Brennan, while Trek, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and INEOS battled for position.

Cofidis' Bryan Coquard took advantage of the chaos. Following Mads Pedersen's wheel, Coquard launched his sprint from the left and edged out his rivals by roughly half a wheel to claim a memorable stage victory.

After Stage 8, Enric Mas leads the overall classification in the red jersey, Wout van Aert wears the green jersey, Andreas Leknessund holds the polka-dot jersey, and Paul Seixas retains the white jersey.

Stage 9 will take the riders from Villajoyosa to Aitana on August 31.

2026 Vuelta a España Stage 9: Mas Claims Mountain Victory to Strengthen His Lead

Stage 9 of the 2026 Vuelta a España, from Villajoyosa to Aitana, was the toughest stage of the opening part of the race, covering 187 km with more than 4,900 meters of elevation gain.

A large breakaway quickly formed after the start, and Movistar, protecting Enric Mas' red jersey, initially allowed the group to build a lead of more than five minutes. However, Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale took control of the peloton and began a fierce chase before the final climb.

The decisive battle came on the 22-km ascent to Aitana, averaging 5.8%. Decathlon's aggressive pace reduced the GC group to fewer than 10 riders, while most of the early breakaway riders were caught.

With around 3 km remaining, Enric Mas launched a powerful attack. His acceleration immediately dropped the remaining breakaway riders, and only INEOS Grenadiers' Oscar Onley was able to follow his wheel.

Mas continued to set the pace all the way to the finish, with Onley struggling to stay in contact. With just 100 meters remaining, Mas launched another acceleration and comfortably won the stage.

The victory marked Mas' first stage win of the 2026 Vuelta and strengthened his position in the overall classification. After taking over the red jersey following Tadej Pogačar's withdrawal, Mas has now proved that he can defend it in the mountains.

In the mountains classification, Bahrain Victorious' Santiago Buitrago scored enough points to take the polka-dot jersey from Andreas Leknessund.

After Stage 9, Enric Mas leads the overall classification, Wout van Aert wears the green jersey, Buitrago holds the polka-dot jersey, and Oscar Onley leads the young rider classification.

Stage 10 will take the riders from Alcázar de San Juan to Elche on September 1.

2026 Vuelta a España Stage 10: Tronchon Stuns the Field with a Dramatic 50-Meter Comeback

Stage 10 of the 2026 Vuelta a España, from Alcaraz to Elche, marked the beginning of the race's second week after the rest day. The 184.7-km stage featured nearly 3,000 meters of climbing and three Category 3 climbs.

A seven-rider breakaway formed early and built a lead of around 2:30. The breakaway stayed together for most of the day, with riders fighting for climbing and sprint points along the route.

After the final climb, Cofidis and Visma-Lease a Bike increased the pace in the peloton, gradually reducing the gap. The breakaway eventually split, while Uno-X's Odd Christian Eiking attacked alone and remained in front until just 4 km from the finish, earning the combativity award.

The final kilometers became chaotic. With just 1 km remaining, riders from Astana and Q36.5 launched late attacks, disrupting the sprint trains. Pre-race favorite Brennan struggled to position himself and faded before the final sprint.

Just as Trek and Uno-X were battling for the lead, FDJ's Valentin Madouas launched a powerful acceleration with only 50 meters remaining. Using the slipstream and a perfectly timed burst of speed, he surged past the rivals and held on to win the stage in a dramatic finish.

The victory was a major breakthrough for the French team and marked Tronchon's first WorldTour victory since joining FDJ.

After Stage 10, Enric Mas retains the red jersey, Wout van Aert leads the points classification in green, Santiago Buitrago holds the polka-dot jersey, and Oscar Onley remains in the white jersey.

Stage 11 will take the riders from Cartagena to Lorca on September 2.

(Image source: Vuelta a España organizing committee)