Two weeks are now behind them, with six race days still to come for the riders in the 2026 Vuelta a España. Whilst many stage victories have already been decided, the battle for the Red Jersey remains the dominant theme. Enric Mas heads into the second and final rest day as the overall leader and is closer than ever to the greatest success of his career.
Mas extends his lead in the Vuelta
The Mallorcan has further extended his lead in the Vuelta’s general classification during the second week of the race. He now leads the general classification by just over two minutes. Behind him, Felix Gall and Primož Roglič have swapped places, meaning the Austrian is now the Spaniard’s closest rival.
The impression from the past few days is clear: at the moment, no rider seems stronger than Mas. Time and again, the Movistar team captain has proved himself to be the most consistent climber in the race, responding confidently to every attack from his rivals. Following his three second-place finishes in the Vuelta a España, this home tour of all places could finally bring him the long-awaited major triumph.
The time trial remains Roglič’s best hope
However, the road to overall victory won’t be quite that straightforward. Whilst there are still two tough mountain stages to come in the final week of the Vuelta a España, the biggest unknown is arguably the time trial on Stage 18. The time trial could turn the general classification on its head once again.
Mas has been regarded for years as one of the best climbers in the peloton; in time trials, however, he is not among the world’s elite. Roglič, on the other hand, has often owed his greatest successes to his strength in time trials. The Slovenian is unlikely to be able to make up more than two minutes in a single time trial, but a significantly smaller deficit would dramatically alter the starting position.
A perfectly realistic scenario: Roglič significantly reduces the gap on Stage 18, before both riders head into the decisive mountain stages 19 and 20 almost neck and neck. The Vuelta could then be decided in a head-to-head battle between the Spaniard and the Slovenian.
Carapaz moves up to fourth place in the Vuelta
There was also some movement behind the leading duo. Richard Carapaz moved up to fourth place overall in the Vuelta, overtaking Oscar Onley. However, the Ecuadorian is already 4 minutes and 24 seconds behind Mas and will probably need a minor miracle to remain in serious contention for a podium place.
Onley is in fifth place, 5 minutes and 44 seconds behind. Right behind him is Jakob Omrzel. The Slovenian is now just 6 minutes and 14 seconds behind the overall leader and is one of the big winners of the past week.
Omrzel takes White
Omrzels’ progress in the young rider classification is particularly noteworthy. His spectacular victory on the gruelling 12th stage not only saw him make a huge leap up the overall standings, but also gave him the chance to claim the white jersey.
At present, only 30 seconds separate him from Oscar Onley. Given the remaining mountain stages, a change at the top of the young riders’ classification seems entirely possible. A third strong week at the Vuelta would be hugely important for both of these talented riders.
Brennan and Van Aert dominate the second week
Whilst the general classification contenders were sizing each other up, other riders continued to rack up stage wins. Matthew Brennan continued his impressive run and now has three stage wins to his name.
The week proved even more successful for his team-mate. Wout van Aert won stages 13 and 15, once again demonstrating his tremendous versatility. Team Visma | Lease a Bike has now secured five stage wins.
Brenner’s big moment on the Sierra de La Pandera
Marco Brenner provided one of the most emotional moments of the second week of racing at the Vuelta. The German rider won the gruelling mountain finish at the Sierra de La Pandera after a dramatic finale. Shortly before the finish, Brenner seemed to have everything under control; he should have been able to win the race in a sprint from the small group. Convinced of victory, he even began to fasten his jersey for the finish-line photo. At that very moment, Santiago Buitrago launched his attack. Suddenly, the success that had seemed certain was in danger of slipping away after all.
Brenner, however, reacted in time, closed the gap that had opened up and even had enough left in the tank in the final sprint to secure the biggest victory of his career so far. For the sponsors, the perfect photo finish is crucial; for Brenner, on the other hand, that brief moment of inattention could almost have ended in disaster.
The heat is taking its toll on the Vuelta
Having already seen the first week of racing disrupted by hail and heavy rain, a stage in the second week also had to be altered due to the weather. The 15th stage, originally just under 190 kilometres long, was shortened to just 110 kilometres due to the extreme temperatures. Temperatures well over 40 degrees were recorded at the finish. This placed an enormous strain on riders, support staff and organisers.
The outlook for the crucial final week is considerably better. Whilst it will remain hot, with temperatures just over 30 degrees, the extreme conditions of the past few days are likely to be a thing of the past.
Six days until Granada
The 2026 Vuelta promises a finale that the organisers could hardly have hoped for. Enric Mas is on the verge of the greatest success of his career and currently looks stronger than ever. Yet, of all people, Primož Roglič – one of the most experienced stage racers of recent years – is lying in wait for his chance.
Two tough mountain stages and the final time trial are still to come. Mas is still wearing the red jersey with a comfortable lead. The crucial question, however, is: will just over two minutes really be enough to keep Roglič at bay until Granada? The answer to that will be revealed during the final week of what has been a fascinating Tour of Spain so far.
Leon Weidner
Editor