Marco Brenner spread his arms wide and celebrated the greatest success of his career at an altitude of 1,800 metres. The young German rider pulled off a surprise victory on the 14th stage of the Vuelta, winning the mountain finish at Sierra de la Pandera. Brenner, aged 24, who is only competing in his third Grand Tour, thus secured the first German stage win in the Tour of Spain since Lennard Kämna three years ago.
Brenner, who was part of a large breakaway group, gave the Colombian Santiago Buitrago no chance in the uphill sprint after 154.5 kilometres. The former German champion had first made a name for himself in August when he pulled off a surprise victory in the Tour of Poland.
“I can’t believe it. It’s for days like this that I became a professional cyclist. There aren’t many riders who manage to win a stage in a Grand Tour,” said Brenner.
Mas extends his lead
The Spaniard Enric Mas successfully defended the red jersey as overall leader. The 31-year-old, who crossed the finish line 4 minutes and 12 seconds behind Brenner, even managed to extend his lead. This was because Primoz Roglic, who had been second in the general classification, lost a further 25 seconds and slipped down to third place in the general classification behind the Austrian Felix Gall. Mas now leads Gall by 2 minutes and 6 seconds.
Ever since five-time Tour champion Tadej Pogacar was forced to withdraw a week ago following a serious crash, the Vuelta a España has become an open race. Mas, who for a long time failed to live up to Spanish hopes in stage races, could still go on to claim his first major victory. He has previously finished second three times and third once in the Vuelta.
There are unlikely to be any major changes at the top of the general classification on Sunday. The 15th stage, covering 189.7 kilometres from Palma de Rio to Córdoba, features three third-category climbs and is likely to favour breakaway riders.
Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
