Pogačar wins a thrilling time trial and takes the red jersey on the first day of La Vuelta 2026

Tadej Pogačar did not take a day to win in his return to La Vuelta a España. The Slovenian triumphed in the opening time trial in Monaco after a thrilling finish where he surpassed Ethan Hayter by just 9 hundredths of a second. Joshua Tarling finished third, 4 seconds behind, while Wout van Aert, one of the day's big favorites, had to settle for eighth place, 9 seconds back.

Tadej Pogačar wins the first stage of La Vuelta 2026 and dons the red jersey

La Vuelta a España 2026 began with the 9.4 kilometers against the clock through the streets of Monaco, which had already been presented as one of the most unique time trials of the year. Curves, tunnels, constant braking and acceleration made technique weigh as much as power, and the differences ended up being minimal.

Times fell rapidly during the final part of the stage. Callum Thornley initially surprised with 11:02, before the big specialists arrived. Joshua Tarling lowered his time and took the lead, but his compatriot Ethan Hayter was even faster, stopping the clock at 10:57.

It seemed like a time that would be hard to beat. Even more so after Wout van Aert, who had marked this stage as one of his first major goals of La Vuelta, passed the halfway point 3 seconds behind Hayter and ended up losing 9 seconds at the finish.

RECOMENDADO

La Vuelta 2026 is looking for a rival for Pogačar: these are the main candidates

Pogačar wants to win the Vuelta without emptying the tank: “We have to be smart”

“It was very painful”: Van der Poel finishes 10th on his MTB return

Boichis wins in Les Gets as Van der Poel makes spectacular MTB comeback despite a near-crash

Attack on the last lap and victory for Sina Frei in Les Gets

The Short Track World Cup arrives in Les Gets: favourites, schedules and where to watch

But Pogačar was still to come.

The world champion started as the second-to-last rider and already at the halfway point made it clear that he was in a position to contest the victory. There he recorded the second-best time and faced the second half of the course with Hayter as a reference.

The finish could not have been closer. Pogačar crossed the finish line with the same official time of 10:57 as Hayter, but was 9 hundredths faster than the Briton, a difference sufficient to take the victory and become the first leader of La Vuelta 2026.

Pogačar starts winning and Van Aert finishes 9 seconds behind

In addition to achieving his first victory of this edition, Pogačar completes the first day with a small advantage over his rivals. The distance was too short to cause significant differences among the general classification contenders, but the Slovenian once again demonstrated from day one that he can also win when the terrain favors specialists.

Hayter was just centimeters away from a victory of great prestige, while Tarling finished third, 4 seconds behind. The surprise came immediately after with Callum Thornley, fourth at 5 seconds, while Christophe Laporte completed the Top 5 at 6 seconds.

Van Aert could not fulfill his first goal of winning and donning the red jersey. The Belgian finished eighth, 9 seconds behind, although such a small difference keeps him very close to the front before a second stage that, on paper, also offers options for fast and resilient riders.

Another important name of the day was Primož Roglič, the last rider to start and who ultimately finished 24th. The day also left more significant differences for some general classification contenders, with riders like Oscar Onley and Felix Gall losing much more ground in an effort of less than eleven minutes.

Top 10 stage 1 of La Vuelta a España 2026

1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – 10:57
2. Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) – +00"
3. Joshua Tarling (Netcompany INEOS) – +4"
4. Callum Thornley (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – +5"
5. Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike) – +6"
6. Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon CMA CGM) – +8"
7. Oscar Chamberlain (Decathlon CMA CGM) – +9"
8. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) – +9"
9. Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – +10"
10. Arthur Kluckers (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) – +11"

Top 10 General of La Vuelta a España 2026 after stage 1

1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – 10:57
2. Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) – +00"
3. Joshua Tarling (Netcompany INEOS) – +4"
4. Callum Thornley (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – +5"
5. Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike) – +6"
6. Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon CMA CGM) – +8"
7. Oscar Chamberlain (Decathlon CMA CGM) – +9"
8. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) – +9"
9. Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – +10"
10. Arthur Kluckers (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) – +11"